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The 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

That’s the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School’s eighth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom on Feb. 13, 2025, from 4 to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but .

This event challenges students to explain their thesis to the general public. They are then evaluated by a panel of judges from across the university and local community, including Waleed Abdalati, executive director of the Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and professor of geography; Jared Bahir Browsh, director of critical sports studies and an assistant teaching professor; Sonia DeLuca Fernández, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming; and Aaron Brockett, City of ��«����Ƶ mayor.

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll feature each of the competitors. Today is Anna Turner, a doctoral candidate in media studies, specializing in political media. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Building Bridges through Popular Media.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

I study how media can exacerbate and mitigate political polarization.

What do you feel is the significance of your research to the every day audience?

We're really polarized politically right now, and it can be detrimental to the political system, so every American or international person living in America has a stake in polarization and depolarization because it has real effects on daily experiences.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

I love studying media, and I wanted to continue my education as far as I could go.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

That it has real-world consequences, and it's fun!

What did you do before coming to CU ��«����Ƶ for graduate school?

I was an instructional specialist at the University of Central Florida. I helped other faculty design their courses and teach using research-based practices.

What are your hobbies/what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic work?

When I have time, I like to run or binge watch shows.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I kind of collect pugs. I've had three so far.