2019 3MT UAlberta Finals People's Choice Award winner Erin Ratelle, first place winner Annapoorna Shruthi Budnar Subramanya, and runner-up Makenzie MacKay pose with their trophies. (Photo: Gurveer Choan)
The 2019 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) UAlberta Finals were held at Convocation Hall on Tuesday, March 26. Fifteen talented graduate students took the 3MT challenge and explained the significance of their theses research in three minutes using only one Powerpoint slide. The presentations were delivered to an audience at Convocation Hall, and to an online audience who watched via livestream. The students were judged based on communication style, comprehension, and engagement. After much deliberation and tallying of scores, the following winners were chosen:
First Place
Annapoorna Shruthi Budnar Subramanya, "Partial Upgrading of Tarry Bitumen into Free-Flowing Oil"
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
In just three minutes, she explained her research on transforming bitumen into free-flowing oil and how it is similar to the journey of a potato from the field until it becomes a delicious bowl of poutine. Her work focuses on how to convert unfavourable compounds found in bitumen into desirable counterparts.
Budnar Subramanya will represent the University of Alberta at the 3MT Western Regional Competition at the University of Northern British Columbia on April 17 at 1:30 p.m. where she can advance to the Canadian 3MT Finals. There will be an opportunity to watch the Western Regionals livestream and to vote for her for the People's Choice Award. Congratulations Shruthi!
Runner-up
Makenzie MacKay, "Powering The Top of the World"
Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology, Faculty of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences
MacKay's research looks into the importance of developing local energy sources that is reliable and low cost without disrupting traditions of the Inuvialuit communities in the Beaufort Delta of the Northwest Territories. Congratulations Makenzie!
People's Choice Award
Erin Ratelle, "I Know What You Did Last Wednesday"
Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation
Ratelle explained with clarity and creativity on how social media platforms such as Strava (a running app) are changing the landscape of sport from physical to virtual spaces. Her presentation earned her the People's Choice Award. Congratulations Erin!
The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) wishes to express a big thank you to the judges: Dr. Matthias Ruth, Vice-President (Research), Jan Fox, Executive Director of REACH Edmonton and FGSR Professional Development Advisory Board member, and Omar Yaqub, Senior Partner of Alif Partners.
FGSR and all the 3MT finalists extend their gratitude to the live and virtual audiences who voted for the People's Choice Award and who, through attendance, demonstrated support and interest in graduate student research. The livestream recording can be viewed on the Three Minute Thesis webpage.
Presenting your research in three minutes is a challenge and a beneficial exercise to help you reframe your research question, see how your research fits into the larger picture and hone your communication skills. To help bring the value of 3MT to more students, FGSR invites students to submit their research to the Written Three Minute Thesis (W3MT), in partnership with eParliament.