How to fit 80,000 words into three minutes and one slide

The philosopher John Searle once said, “You cannot think clearly if you cannot speak and write clearly.” It’s an everyday issue for some of us, especially before that morning caffeine kicks in. Imagine how tough it gets when you’re talking about polymer nanocomposites, metabolite changes in the brain, or artificial consciousness.

The UCalgary 3MT (Three Minute Thesis) competition challenges grad students to make their highly specialized thinking clear. In this internationally recognized research communication competition, students are judged on how well they present their research to a lay audience in three minutes, using a single static slide.

After five heats, a field of nearly 60 participants has narrowed to 10 finalists, ready to engage and inspire the audience at the 3MT finals on April 10 at the Hunter Hub Collision Space.

The 2018 3MT finalists are pictured above, from left: Cindy Kalenga, Chidera Nwaroh, Afrooz Eshraghian, Rylan Graham, Pouyan Keshavarzian, Jaqueline Lourdes Rios, Shabab Saad, Summer Helmi. Not pictured: Sydney Harvey, Leah Ferrie.

A transformative experience

Nancy Adam, a doctoral candidate in biochemistry and molecular biology, reflects on how her experience as a 2017 3MT finalist changed the way she thinks about her research. “It’s really important to use terms and speak in a way that people understand,” says Adam. “The competition also helped me learn to focus on the significance of my work: What makes it important? Why does it matter?”

For Adam, finding a plain way to summarize her research led her to change elements of her project. “It’s important to find analogies that people understand. I compared DNA structures to shoelaces to explain how our cells age. Working out the analogy actually helped me shape my project in a more relevant way, and I started testing stress factors that I hadn’t considered before.”

New opportunities to present research

Last year’s winner Aprami Jaggi found that the value of the competition extends well past the $1,000 prize money. Jaggi, who recently completed a doctoral dissertation in geoscience, used the experience to hone her approach to addressing groups interested in applying her research on marine oil spills.

“The experience impacted the way I talk about research with groups like the Coast Guard. It’s important not to ‘dumb down’ the science, but to find better words for describing the same thing,” says Jaggi.

Adam finds opportunities to share her 3MT wisdom within her program, where she mentors first-year biochemistry students giving 3MT-style presentations for their annual progress reports. Both Jaggi and Adam agree that the 3MT is great practice for pitching to funding agencies and other groups.

“It’s a great way to get people comfortable talking about their work,” says Jaggi of a session in which her research group of approximately 20 people practised making 3MT-style pitches. 

Supervisors see great benefits for students participating in the 3MT

Nashaat Nassar, associate professor in chemical and petroleum engineering, sees the 3MT as a valuable part of the graduate school experience for his students. Nassar’s graduate students have delivered nine 3MT talks in the past three years.

“I realize how important these few years in a student’s life are. As a supervisor, I feel that my time is best spent motivating and supporting my students in such events,” says Nassar. “Students gain enormous confidence in their abilities by presenting in front of large audiences. They realize how they really are the experts of their own research.”

#GRADimpact week

This year’s 3MT finals are a natural fit for #GRADimpact week, April 9 to 13. This week is a celebration of the impact that graduate students have on the economic and social life of our communities. For the occasion, My GradSkills has invited a group of current grad students and recent grad alumni whose work makes an impact. You can learn more about their research during the reception following the 3MT talks.

2018 finalists

This year’s 3MT finals take place from 3 to 5 p.m. April 10. The finalists represent a wide range of UCalgary graduate programs:

• Leah Ferrie, Biomedical Engineering. Supervisor: Roman Krawetz and Neil Duncan. “There’s no place like homing”: biomaterial-induced stem cell homing in bone fracture repair.
• Afrooz Eshraghian, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. Supervisor: U.T. Sundararaj. Polymer nanocomposites for electrical shielding.
• Cindy Kalenga, Medical Science. Supervisor: Sofia Ahmed. The greatest health threat women face today.
• Summer Helmi, Biochemistry and Microbiology. Supervisor: Derrick Rancourt. Transdifferentiation: turning mercury into gold.
• Sydney Harvey, Philosophy. Supervisor: Richard Zach. The illusion of consciousness revealed through film.
• Jaqueline Lourdes Rios, Kinesiology. Supervisor: Walter Herzog. Exercise and fibre: one step closer to preventing and treating osteoarthritis.
• Rylan Graham, Environmental Design. Supervisor: Sasha Tsenkova. Urban sprawl and intensification in the Canadian city.
• Shabab Saad, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. Supervisor: Giovanniantonio Natale. Active colloids in complex fluid: an innovative platform for enhanced drug delivery.
• Pouyan Keshavarzian, Electrical and Computer Engineering. Supervisor: Michal Okoniewski. Future destinations: self-driving tech for Canadian climates.
• Chidera Nwaroh, Medical Science. Supervisor: Ashley Harris. Metabolite changes in the brain following transcranial direct current stimulation.