Eight graduate students win cash awards in Three Minute Thesis competition

Eight graduate students won cash awards at the Ohio University Three Minute Thesis Competition finals hosted by the Graduate College on Feb. 23.

This year 29 master's and doctoral students participated, and four semi-final heats were held. Two people from each heat advanced to the finals.

Participants hailed from College of Arts and Sciences, Patton College of Education, Scripps College of Communication, Russ College of Engineering and Technology, and the Center for International Studies.

This year's prizes were sponsored by alumna Dr. René Paulson, founder of Elite Research LLC, a global provider of research and statistical consulting that supports corporate, nonprofit, academic, and medical researchers in research design, statistical analysis, and the reporting of efficient and accurate research. Paulson earned a B.A. in Psychology in 1999 from the College of Arts and Sciences and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Texas Christian University.

The Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) was founded by the University of Queensland in 2008, with competitions now held at more than 900 institutions in 80 countries. This is the eighth year that OHIO has participated in 3MT.

Students have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance. 3MT challenges students to consolidate their ideas and research discoveries so they can be presented concisely to a non-specialist audience. Participants are allowed a single PowerPoint slide and no additional props. Judging includes whether the participants clearly describe their research results, including conclusions and outcomes, while avoiding scientific jargon.

Prizes awarded were:

• $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place, $500 for third place, and $250 for each remaining finalist.
• Two People's Choice Awards of $100 were given, one each to a master's and doctoral student.

The winners

Ryan Steere, won $2,100 for first place and People’s Choice master's for his presentation on "Investigating the Global Impact of DNA Supercoiling on Staphylococcus aureus Gene Expression." Steere is a master's student in the College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing an M.S. in Biological Science with a concentration in cell, developmental and microbiology with Associate Professor Ronan Carrol.

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Chinonso Ugwumadu won $1,000 for second place for his presentation on "Alchemy of Graphite: The many faces of coal." Ugwumadu is a doctoral student in the College of Arts and Sciences, pursing a Ph.D. in Physics and studying with Distinguished Professor David Drabold.

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Ibiagbani Max-Harry won $500 for third place for her presentation on "Parathyroid Hormone related Protein and Pancreatic Islets: New Discoveries." Max-Harry is doctoral student in the College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Biological Sciences and studying with Associate Professor Craig Nunemaker.

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Akshayaa Venkataraghavan won $350 as a finalist and People’s Choice Ph.D. for her presentation on "Unraveling the genes behind Xylan's branches in grasses." Venkataraghavan is a doctoral student in College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing a Ph.D. in Plant Biology and studying with Associate Professor Ahmed Faik.

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Katelyn Balli won $250 as a finalist for her presentation on "How do parents support K-3 student writing development in the home and what collaborating practices between parents and teachers best aid in this support?" Balli is a student in the Patton College of Education, pursuing a master's in reading and studying with Associate Professor of Instruction Chris Kennedy.

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Sam Smith won $250 as a finalist for his presentation on "The Dialectic of TikTok: Fakeness and Authenticity in the Digital Age." Smith is a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing an M.A. in Sociology and studying with Professor Thomas Vander Ven.

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Jennifer Ojiambo-Isiko won $250 as a finalist for her presentation on "Social Justice Training Environment, Self-efficacy, and Social Justice Outcome Expectations as Predictors of Social Justice Interest and Commitment in Counselor Education Master's Students." Ojiambo-Isiko is a doctoral student in the Patton College of Education, pursing an M.Ed. in Counselor Education  and studying with Professor Christine Bhat.

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Roshni Ashiq won $250 as a finalist for her presentation on "I am not 'White' to Talk about Sexual Health, Exploring Mother Daughter Dyad Communication on Sexual Health and its Implication in the Prevention of Sexual Abuse in Pakistan-Unfolding Dark Realities." Ashiq is a doctoral student in the Scripps College of Communication, pursuing a Ph.D. in Communication Studies with a concentration in health communications and studying with Associate Professor Angela Hosek.