3MT Finalists after the competition (img: Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Eductation)

On April 4th, Georgia Tech held their 10th annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, one of over 200 universities worldwide to do so. At this intensely competitive event, two MSE graduate students, Sakshi Sharma and Sai Shreeya Yara, were the Overall Ph.D. Winner and Masters Winner respectively.

With just three minutes to present their research to a non-specialist audience and six rounds of competition, both Sharma and Yara’s victories were hard fought. Sharma, a Ph.D. candidate with MSE, presented her thesis titled “From Rigid to Bendable: Solar Panels for Surfaces Around Us.” “I simply wanted to challenge myself to overcome stage fright, go up there and make interesting science accessible for a general audience,” Sharma said about why she chose to sign up for 3MT. It was a beneficial experience for her even before she won, too. “Practicing and seeking feedback from a diverse set of audience- friends, coworkers, family- is an important tool. It pushed me to be creative in how I communicate my work to people outside my field,” she said. Doing competitions like 3MT can be beneficial for graduate students as they hone their research interests and also as they practice the skill of discussing incredibly complex concepts with lay audiences. Sharma’s advice for graduate students considering competing in next year’s 3MT is simple though: show up. “Showing up to nerve wracking situations is already half the battle won!” Sharma will go on to represent Georgia Tech in the regional level 3MT competition.

Yara, a Master’s student with MSE, also went home a winner. She presented her research titled “Molten Salt Reactors: A way to harness nuclear energy safely.” After competing in the 3 Minute Research Challenge conducted by MSE, she got a taste for this kind of competition. Yara said, “I was able to explain my research to people who do not work in my field. And that felt so amazing that I wanted to do more of it.” This opportunity to expand her experience with lay audiences was invaluable, and Yara urges others to give 3MT a shot. “It is something I feel everyone should experience. Trust me, I get very nervous about the slightest of things. If I could do it, I am sure others can,” she said, noting the advice that her advisor passed on to her, “you will not know if you will win or lose if you do not participate.” Not only did Yara participate, she was the Master’s Winner.

MSE had 3 other graduating students representing the college in the competition: Sumaiyatul Ahsan, Haley Carroll, and Aubrey Toland. Their involvement and victories in this competition reflect the potential of our graduate students and we cannot wait to see what wonderful things the students do next. To learn more about this year's competition, visit the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Eductation website. For more information about Tech’s annual 3MT competition and to start getting excited about entering to compete next year, visit the Georgia Tech 3 Minute Thesis website.