Rocking the Clock! Meet some of the 3MT® Finalists.

By: M. Caroline Helms and Sandra Spiroff

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an annual research communication competition held each Fall at the University of Mississippi (UM). According to the University of Queensland, which founded the competition in 2008, the 3MT® “cultivates students’ academic, presentation and research communication skills. The competition supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.”

The competition began during a severe drought in Queensland, Australia, when residents were encouraged to conserve water. Many people used a three-minute egg timer to support water conservation efforts. The 3MT® competition was born when Emeritus Professor Alan Lawson, then Dean of the Graduate School, had the idea to apply the three-minute limit to research presentations.

Over the last 17 years, the competition has grown in popularity and is now a part of more than 900 schools across 85 countries, including most major graduate schools in the United States. However, while the Australian institution limits participation to doctoral students, at UM and most other institutions, the competition is open to all degree-seeking graduate students. As the ultimate elevator pitch, 3MT® challenges participants to identify the key elements of their research or creative work and clearly communicate their results. With only a single fixed slide as support, students have a three-minute limit to convey their topic and its relevance.

This year’s 3MT® final round featured twenty-one presenters, advancing from a field of ninety-nine competitors. The finalists, who represented disciplines from across our campus, delivered engaging presentations about their specific research topics and studies, tailored for a general audience, as they competed to represent the University at the regional competition in Dallas, Texas, in March 2025. Here, we feature seven students from the roster of finalists: Boluwatife S. Olubusoye, Peyton Day, Indrajeet Karnik, Katie Martz, David Henen, Sina Rostami, and Kaitlyn Armstrong.

 Boluwatife S. Olubusoye is a doctoral student from Lagos, Nigeria, working towards a Ph.D. in Chemistry. His research centers around tire wear particles (TWPs) as contaminants and how to monitor and mitigate their environmental effects.

“These particles are generated through the friction between vehicle tires and road surfaces and are a major contributor to non-exhaust particulate matter. Containing leachable toxic compounds…TWPs are transported into the environment through both airborne pathways and stormwater runoff, leading to widespread pollution in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,” Olubusoye said. He explained that one crucial aspect of his research is designing low-cost, effective mitigation strategies to reduce the influx of TWPs into aquatic environments.

“The implications of my research are far-reaching, as TWPs not only pollute the environment but also pose a threat to human health…By addressing both the environmental and public health risks associated with TWPs, my research supports broader efforts to create healthier, more sustainable communities,” Olubusoye said.

Olubusoye intends to keep advancing methods for identifying, monitoring, and addressing emerging environmental contaminants. He aims to “contribute meaningfully to the protection of our natural environment through rigorous scientific inquiry and innovative solutions.”

Another participant is Peyton Day, a political science doctoral student from Birmingham, Alabama. She developed an interest in Middle East area studies at a young age. Her close friendships with the welcoming Levantine immigrant community in her hometown inspired her to pursue international relations and the Arabic language.

“My research explores how shifts in the resources, infrastructure, and technologies available to non-state actors have enabled armed groups to create and access progressively widespread and complex networks of partners and supporters to subsidize their operations,” Day said.

Day believes that network-based approaches can inform broader counterinsurgency strategies by identifying key patterns and figures within the supply chains and support networks of armed groups. “By synthesizing the literature on state sponsorship, cooperation among armed groups, constituent support, and criminal financing tactics, my research provides a more holistic view of the intricate social dynamics…” Day said.

In the future, Day hopes to have a leadership role that connects the academy and policy by making complex information on conflict dynamics accessible to diverse audiences.

Our third featured finalist is Indrajeet Karnik, a doctoral student from India studying pharmaceutics. Drawing on his interest in how small changes in drug formulation can improve patient outcomes, Karnik uses a specific technique to help deliver drugs more effectively while maximizing bioavailability.

“I use a technique called twin-screw extrusion to incorporate the drugs in a polymer matrix to enhance the delivery. Extrusion is also a quicker and more practical way to prepare drug delivery platforms,” Karnik said.

Karnik aspires to one day work in the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on developing innovative drug delivery systems. “I want to apply my knowledge of techniques like twin-screw extrusion to create more effective and accessible medications. My goal is to help bring advanced treatments to market, improving patient care and expanding healthcare options globally,” Karnik said.

Next is Katie Martz, a doctoral student from Colorado Springs, Colorado, pursuing her Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in Elementary Education.  Her research examines the practice of reading aloud and its effects on literacy development. As an elementary school teacher for ten years, Martz consistently found that students from underserved populations lacked foundational skills for reading comprehension.

“Research shows that underserved populations hear significantly fewer words at home, and that early vocabulary knowledge is highly predictive of future reading comprehension skills,” Martz said.

By using an intentional read-aloud from a high-quality book or text, Martz finds that a teacher can actively teach students vocabulary, assist them in developing oral language skills, and build and/or expand students’ knowledge. “So, by engaging students in intentionally planned read-alouds, teachers can deliver the needed instruction to help close the literacy gap and ensure an equitable education for all students,” Martz said.

David Henen is a doctoral student from Egypt earning a Ph.D. in Second Language Studies with an emphasis in Applied Linguistics. His research examined an instructor’s use of English when teaching a foreign language in the United States. He found that using English for approximately five minutes within a one-hour class can be beneficial.

“This strategic use can be employed for administrative communication, providing task instructions, giving feedback on assignments, connecting during office hours, and building rapport with students,” Henen said.

Henen has found that teachers can create a more supportive and effective learning environment by using students’ native language, as it demonstrates consideration for their emotional well-being. “Such practices show respect for students’ identities, integrate their first language knowledge into the process of acquiring a new one, and, most importantly, help reduce students’ anxiety in the classroom,” Henen said.

In the future, Henen hopes to further his research to gain more insights into the usage of native language in foreign language classrooms.

Hailing from Iran, Sina Rostami is a doctoral student studying physics. Inspired by a research opportunity at the National Center for Physical Acoustics and the intriguing research topics introduced by his advisor, Dr. Joel Mobley, Rostami’s research focuses on using saltwater to design an acoustic lens.

“The saltwater changes the speed of sound, helping our acoustic lens to successfully focus the acoustic energy to where we desire. One of the advantages of this research is that by changing the salinity of the saltwater, we can adjust the focus of the lens,” Rostami said. During his final presentation, he advised that one should not take this research “with a grain of salt.” The simplicity and availability of salt make this research robust and sustainable.

In his career, Rostami plans to use this application of acoustics and ultrasonic acoustic waves in different fields.

Our seventh featured finalist is Kaitlyn Armstrong, a doctoral student from Canada studying health and kinesiology. She shared that one of the most interesting aspects of her female physiology lab group is studying the fluctuations in female sex hormones throughout the menstrual cycle. Armstrong noted that researchers who study workplace injury tend to overlook the experiences of women workers. Therefore, her research aims to explore how the menstrual cycle affects physical function and injury risk.

“The overall goal of this line of research is to improve the knowledge regarding female physiology on performance and function. It is our hope that our research will help practitioners, coaches, and trainers to become more effective with their approaches and interventions for women,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong thanks her advisor, Dr. Chip Wade, for emphasizing the value of building her distinct line of research in their lab.

“Coming from an athletic background and now as a coach to young girls in Oxford, I know how important this line of research can be. It’s fulfilling to know that our research could potentially benefit my own players and help them navigate performance around the menstrual cycle,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong hopes to remain in academia, working with undergraduate students, specifically those in exercise science, while also building out this line of research.

The Graduate School congratulates all 3MT® finalists and competitors and thanks our first-round judges. Without our judging panels, which consisted of individuals from the College of Liberal Arts, the Schools of Pharmacy and Education, the Marketing and Communication Department, the Division of Access, Opportunity and Community Engagement, the Provost’s Office, and the Graduate School, we could not host such a successful event. We look forward to the bright futures of all our UM graduate students and hope to see them in next year’s 3MT® competition.

 

Winter Newsletter 2024-2025

1. Welcome
2. Race Against Time: Celebrating the 2024 3MT Winners
3. Rocking the Clock! Meet Some of the 3MT Finalists
4. Introducing a New Fellowship: The R. Kelley Thueson Graduate Fellowship
5. What’s on the Menu at the Oxford Science Café?
6. Professional Development: A Return on Investment

Spring 2024 Newsletter

Link to Spring Newsletter 2024