NMSU Graduate School to host Three Minute Thesis competition Mar. 1

Condensing hours of research into short, easily understandable presentations, students in New Mexico State University’s Graduate School have an opportunity to improve their scientific communication skills in a competition on March 1.  
 
The Three-Minute Thesis competition will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, Mar. 1, in Domenici Hall, room 109. The competition challenges graduate students to present their research or creative scholarship work in three minutes or less in a manner that a general audience can understand, helping them hone their oral communication skills.  
 
“This competition provides an opportunity for NMSU to showcase to the local community, Board of Regents, and New Mexico legislature regarding the high quality of research being conducted at NMSU and thus elevate the visibility and reputation of NMSU in the region,” said Ranjit Koodali, dean of Graduate School and provost of International Affairs.  
 
This year’s competition features 25 master’s and Ph.D. students. Doctoral students must be active in a Ph.D. or professional doctoral research program and have successfully passed their confirmation milestone by Jan. 31, 2024. Master’s students are also eligible and must be active in a degree thesis-option and set to graduate from their program in spring 2024.  
 
“The 3MT competition allows graduate students to lay emphasis on key elements of their research and thus help provide perspective and focus on the knowledge gap being addressed in their research, necessity, and impact of their work,” Koodali said.  
 
Cash awards for the top three winners are $1,500, $750, and $500. The top 20 receive $100 each.  

The competition originated at the University of Queensland in 2008 and has since grown to include competitions at more than 900 universities worldwide. For more information about the 3MT, visit https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/.