3MT for the Graduate School
We are excited to announce that the Graduate School is hosting the annual 3MT (3 Minute Thesis) Contest.
When: Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Where: Student Center Ballroom
Why: Skills development for research candidates and adding to the research culture of our university.
Who is eligible: Research-based Master’s and Doctoral students who have completed their prospectus by the time of the competition.
Event: Each student competitor will have 3 minutes and one static PowerPoint slide only to present their research.
Prizes:
1st place $2,000.00
2nd place $1,500.00
3rd place $1,000.00
People’s Choice $1,000.00
Our first-place winner will also be awarded travel funds to attend the regional CSGS (Council of Southern Graduate Schools) annual meeting. Location and date to be provided later.
How Graduate Programs can help: Publicize this opportunity among their graduate students and nominate their top eligible student to participate. Nominations can now be submitted till September 11th.
2026 USA 3MT® Winners
WINNER: Joseph Hayes/College of Engineering "The fight in our water: activated carbon fabrics vs microplastics"
Mentor: Dr. Melike Dizbay-Onat
2nd PLACE: Sudhanshu Tarale/College of Engineering "AI Agent for Healthcare Education"
Mentor: Dr. Bhushan Lohar
3rd PLACE: Gracie Hankins/College of Arts and Sciences "How do nutrient addition and disturbances interactively impact decomposition of coastal dune species?"
Mentor: Dr. Jeremiah Henning
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Gracie Hankins/College of Arts and Sciences "How do nutrient addition and disturbances interactively impact decomposition of coastal dune species?"
Mentor: Dr. Jeremiah Henning