11. 14. 2022
Dean Lanyon and Paulina Eberts onstage at the Coffman Theater

The Graduate School is pleased to announce the winners of the 7th Annual Three-Minute Thesis Competition

Paulina Eberts, a doctoral student in the College of Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering program took home the First Place and People's Choice Awards at the event on Friday, November 11. Eberts will represent the University of Minnesota at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) 3-Minute Thesis competition in Spring 2023.

Doctoral student Apoorva Limaye from the Medical School, Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (MPaT) program, received the Second Place Award.

The Three-Minute Thesis Competition challenges graduate students to present their research in just 180 seconds, in a way that can be understood by an intelligent audience with no background in the subject. This competition helps our graduate students develop presentation and communication skills; the benefits of preparing for a three-minute thesis competition are valuable regardless of career path, degree objective, or discipline. Participants are allowed to refer to one, static slide during their presentations, but may not use any other props or media.

Special thanks goes to this year's judges:

  • Merrie Benasutti, Coordinator of Community Partnerships, Office for Public Engagement, University of Minnesota
  • Caroline Churchill, Owner, Churchill Consulting, LLC
  • Mike O. Kenyanya, Regent, University of Minnesota
  • Nicole MartinRogers, Research Scientist, Wilder Foundation
  • Adair Mosley, Chief Executive Officer, African American Leadership Forum

Watch all of the participants' presentations:

Nichole Angell

Is an ounce of prevention really worth a pound of cure?

Water Resources Science, M.S., College of Food, Agricultural & Natural Resource Sciences

Emily Coffey

The Urinary Microbiome & Urinary Stone Disease in Dogs

Comparative and Molecular Biosciences, Ph.D., Veterinary Medicine

Paulina Eberts

Decoding Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease

Chemical Engineering, Ph.D., College of Science and Engineering

Alyssa Lantz

Improving HIV prevention medications in women using female genital tissue

Experimental & Clinical Pharmacology, Ph.D., College of Pharmacy

Apoorva Limaye

Unraveling protein dynamics to facilitate rational drug designing

Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (MPaT), Ph.D., Medical School

Vishruthi Manickavasagan

Optimizing Asphalt Mixture Design for Low-Volume Roads in Cold Climate Areas

Civil Engineering, M.S., Duluth Campus

Shanley Roach

Clearing hurdles: studying how viruses evolve and transmit to new species

Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Ph.D., College of Biological Sciences

Yi Ni Toh

Ping! When Distraction Improves Attention

Psychology, Ph.D., College of Liberal Arts

Watch the competition in its entirety