"It was a blast to host this year's 3MT and congratulations to all of our winners. Like every year, we see the development of our graduate students from the beginning of the process to the end and could not be more impressed with their readiness for not only the competition, but for what comes after school is done. I think we all gained valuable insight from our panel as well and hopefully this provided an opportunity for our participants to 'touch some grass' outside of their classes and labs, before they step into the arena of the professional world that awaits them."

George Strickland – Director, Research Initiatives

“3MT is a unique event – there’s no doubt about that! The very fact that you have to squeeze in years of work into a 3-minute talk can indeed be a challenge. But our graduate students have proven that they’re up to the task. They worked hard, made use of every resource that we could offer them and came out with talks that were witty, thought provoking, and above all, engaging. We, at the Research Initiatives Committee consider it a privilege to work with Clemson’s graduate community and will continue to give them our best.”

Vishal Thomas - Deputy Director, Research Initiatives

"This accomplishment is a significant milestone in my life. My fear of public speaking pushed me to apply for the three-minute thesis competition to vanquish my fear. This competition aided in reforming my self- confidence and shaping my abilities. I advise future participants to challenge yourselves, believe in yourselves, and push yourselves until the end. Finally, I am almost incapable of findng the right words to convey my appreciation to the organizers of this successful event. Thank You"

Charini Maladeniya - Winner, PhD Candidate Category

PhD Candidate Category Runner-up Yasir Mahmood shares his thoughts about 3MT:

How did you feel about winning the competition?

“It was an amazing experience and a sign that a general audience understood my research and even felt excited about it. Knowing this, as a budding researcher, I can’t be happier.”

Do you have any advice for future participants?

“Condensing years of research into 3 minutes might seem like an oversimplification, but this reminds us of why we are doing it in the first place, and 3MT gave me this opportunity. So go for it, give it your full, enjoy it like a child enjoys science. Winner or not, you will come back a motivated researcher.”

Is there anything else that you want to say?

“Although my audience were scholars and students with specialization in other fields, now I understand what Einstein meant when he said, “If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.” I understand atoms better today!”

Graduate Student Category Winner Rosemarie Somers shares her opinions on 3MT:

How did you feel about winning the competition?

“First, I would like to say that everyone who entered the competition was a winner! I am very proud of all the graduate students who competed. Winning the 3MT is a feeling that cannot be expressed in one word or sentence. It is an extremely exciting and almost overwhelming feeling to have been part of such a unique and amazing experience.”

Do you have any advice for future participants?

“Every graduate student should participate in this competition because it is a great way to share your research, develop communication skills, and network with other graduate students, industry leaders and upper administrators who are vested in our success.”

Is there anything else that you want to say?

“Success does not occur in a vacuum; it’s a collaborative effort among people with similar interests and goals. I want to thank my professor, Dr. DiBenedetto, for her unwavering support and mentorship. For helping me unearth latent talents and, most of all, building my confidence. I would also like to thank Dr. Ferrand (Virginia Tech University) for her continued support and kind words of encouragement. Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who organized the competition, students, judges, and administrators.”

Graduate Student Category Runner-up Mandeep Tayal offers his take on the competition:

“Winning a 3MT competition was a wonderful and proud moment after all the hard-work. Additionally, it is a great opportunity for anyone to build confidence and network with fellow students and academic professionals. The only advice I will give is to participate in 3MT competition (regardless of at what stage are you in your program), I bet, you will feel a whole different level of confidence and satisfaction. 3MT in Grad school is a must thing to do.”

People’s Choice Winner Kenzie Hurley had this to say about 3MT:

"I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in 3MT this year. I joined last minute because Psychology tends to be an underrepresented field, but I ended up winning People's Choice! It was a great feeling to be able to represent my major in such a unique way. For anyone participating in 3MT, be sure to practice your talk to an expert, someone in your class, and then also a friend or family member with no college education at all. A diverse audience helps a ton with preparation!"