USM Set to Host Entertaining Three-Minute Thesis Competition
Tue, 10/18/2022 - 08:28am | By: Van Arnold
The University of 51逗奶 Mississippi (USM) Graduate School will host the popular and engaging Three-Minute Thesis Competition (3MT庐), set for Nov. 2-4 at the Thad Cochran Center on USM鈥檚 Hattiesburg campus.
In this ninth annual event, competitors are required to explain their thesis or dissertation in a three-minute presentation; effectively communicating the complexity of their topic and research to a non-academic audience. Students will compete for cash prizes, ranging from $250 to the $1,000 Grand Champion award.
Dr. Karen Coats, Dean of USM鈥檚 Graduate School, notes that more than 60 students have already registered for the competition. COVID-19 concerns kept the number of participants under 50 last year. Coats says the competition鈥檚 value to students, as well as the entire campus community, cannot be overstated.
鈥淭his is such an important event for USM. It is one of the Graduate School鈥檚 signature professional development events,鈥� said Coats. 鈥淚t benefits students from across the University, including all disciplines, by helping them develop communication skills. It also is a great venue for showcasing the incredibly diverse research and creative activities our students are engaged in.鈥�
Added Coats: 鈥淚t always makes me proud to be at an institution where our students鈥� scholarship is so evident and so much a part of our University culture.鈥�
During the preliminary competitions on November 2nd and 3rd from 2-5 p.m., students will compete in one of the following four categories:
- Physical Sciences and Math
- Social and Educational Sciences and Business
- Arts and Humanities
- Life, Health and Environmental Sciences
Several USM administrators are scheduled to serve as judges, including President Joe Paul and Dr. Shannon Campbell, Senior Associate Vice President for Coastal Operations. Coats emphasizes that the University community, as well as relatives and friends of the competitors, are invited to attend. Competition begins at 2 p.m. each day.
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT庐) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia.