Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland which challenges graduate students to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance in just three minutes in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.
Clemson University's Graduate Student Government and the Graduate School co-hosted Clemson’s first 3MT competition in April 2014 as one of the premier events of the University’s first Research and Innovation Month. Each entrant was judged on delivery and content by a panel of judges that included staff, faculty, and community members. Since, 3MT has become a traditional event for graduate researchers to give crisp presentations about the innovations happening in the university, with the winner
representing Clemson University at the regional level competition.
3MT Fall 2022 Bootcamp Documents
Clemson University 3MT® Competition (2022)
The 2022 3MT® competition at Clemson University will be held in two stages – a college level preliminary round, and a final competition. It will also have two participant categories – a Doctoral Candidate group and a Graduate Student group. Preliminary level winners from each College will be drawn from both groups who will then go on to present at the 3MT finals on Nov 11 from 9-2 pm at the Watt Center Auditorium.3MT® champions from both groups will receive $1000 apiece and the doctoral candidate winner will represent Clemson at the CSGS Regional competition in Spring 2023.
Furthermore, the Clemson University Research Foundation (CURF) will be sponsoring this year’s CURF-3MT People’s Choice Award. This award will be given to the participant whose presentation was voted on the most by attendees as well as livestream viewers and will be presented by the Senior Deputy Director of CURF – Mr. Chase Kasper.
Judging Info
Each competitor will be assessed on the judging criteria listed below. Each criterion is equally weighted and has an emphasis on audience.
Comprehension and content
- Presentation provided clear background and significance to the research question
- Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research
- Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes and impact of the research
Engagement and communication
- The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience
- The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation
- The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention
Preliminary Round Prizes
| |
First Place |
Second Place |
| Doctoral Candidate Group |
$100 |
$50 |
| Graduate Student Group |
$100 |
$50 |
3MT Finals Prizes
| |
First Place |
Second Place |
| Doctoral Candidate Group |
$1000 |
$500 |
| Graduate Student Group |
$1000 |
$500 |
The CURF-3MT People's Choice Award ($250) will be awarded to a participant from either the Graduate or Doctoral Candidate group
To enroll for the preliminary rounds, please join our Canvas page (no additional registrations necessary)
Deadline for preliminary round registration is Sep 30, 2022.
All finalists are eligible for a 3MT Bootcamp session held by GRAD360° on Oct 16, 2022. The bootcamp will provide professional level training for 3MT slide design and public speaking.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Contact Info:
George Strickland
Vishal Thomas
Clemson University 3MT Competition Previous Winners
2022 - 2023 WINNERS OF 3MT
PhD Candidate Category
- Charini Maladeniya | Chemistry
- Yasir Mahmood | Mechanical Engineering
Graduate Student Category
- Rose Marie Somers | Agricultural Sciences
- Mandeep Tayal | Plant and Environmental Sciences
CURF - 3MT People's Choice Award
- Kenzie Hurley | Psychology
2021 - 2022 WINNERS OF 3MT
- Tessa Gagne | Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences
- Rose Marie Somers | Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences
- Sarah Donaher | Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
People's Choice Award
- Yinlin Dai | College of Business
2020 - 2021 WINNERS OF 3MT
PhD Candidate Competition
- Brennan Ferguson | Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
- Moazzam Nazir | Electrical Engineering
PhD Student and Masters Student Competition
- Amber Stone | Animal and Veterinary Science
- Emma Chiappetta | Teaching and Learning
2019 - 2020 WINNERS OF 3MT
PhD Candidate Competition
- Nicholas Gregorich | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Roxana Jafarifiroozabad | Planning, Design, and Built Environment
PhD Student and Masters Student Competition
- Vishal Thomas | Bioengineering
- Joel Hamilton | Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences
2018 - 2019 WINNERS OF 3MT
PhD Candidate Competition
- James Foster | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Vijay Sreedhara | Mechanical Engineering
- Shubhamkar Kulkarni | Mechanical Engineering
PhD Student and Masters Student Competition
- Joshua Osuofa | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Roxana Jafarifiroozabadi | Planning, Design, and Built Environment
- James Sternberg | International Center for Automotive Research
2017 - 2018 WINNERS OF 3MT
PhD Candidate Competition
- Matthew Flege | International Family and Community Studies
- Madeline Dowling | Plant and Environmental Sciences
- Unaiza Uzair | Chemistry
PhD Student and Masters Student Competition
- Zolian Zoong Lwe | Plant and Environmental Sciences
- Jaime Idarraga | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Rutali Joshi | Healthcare Architecture
2016 - 2017 WINNERS OF 3MT
- Guneet Bedi | Electrical Engineering
- Shakira Hobbs | Electrical Engineering
- Lauren Garcia Chance | Environmental Toxicology
2015 - 2016 WINNERS OF 3MT
- Leah Kitashima | Economics
Qi Zhou | Plant & Environmental Sciences
- Adam Klett | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Roque Gochez | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Unaiza Uzair | Chemistry
2014 - 2015 WINNERS OF 3MT
- Nathan Redding | Plant and Environmental Sciences
Kellie Walters | Parks, Recreation & Tourism Mgt
- Vipul Pai Raikar | Bioengineering
Francesca Stubbins | Entomology
2013 - 2014 WINNERS OF 3MT
- Ashlee Tietje | Biological Sciences
Namrata Sengupta | Environmental Toxicology
- Hobey Tam | Bioengineering
Julian Velez-Guillen | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
