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 Marwa Yacouti, a doctoral candidate in aerospace engineering sciences, with a focus on materials. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Unveiling the hidden stories of materials.”

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

My research uses computational modeling and artificial intelligence to predict and optimize the behavior of high-performance materials for advanced engineering applications.

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

Even though I focus mainly on aerospace applications, my research is significant to the everyday audience because it helps create stronger, lighter, and more efficient materials that improve the performance and safety of everything from infrastructure to the automotive industry.

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

Materials are everywhere! They form the backbone of everything we rely on from cities' infrastructures to aerospace systems. Their importance is what initially drew me to this field, but what keeps me engaged is their incredible versatility and potential. My journey has been interdisciplinary from the start. I began in civil engineering, studying structures and infrastructures, then transitioned to materials science, where I worked on composite materials. Along the way, I recognized the power of computational tools to revolutionize how we design and analyze materials. 

So to deepen my knowledge, I took courses from the computer science department, which expanded my skill set and allowed me to integrate artificial intelligence into my work. What excites me most is how common principles, such as optimization, prediction, and modeling, can connect different disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach has been central to my research, enabling me to develop innovative solutions at the intersection of materials science, engineering and computer science. It’s amazing to see how these fields come together to address complex challenges.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

My favorite thing about my research is the constant opportunity to learn something new and be surprised by the behavior of materials, sometimes, they reveal unexpected properties that challenge our assumptions and open up exciting possibilities for innovation.

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

Before coming to CU ��«����Ƶ for graduate school, I lived in France for two years and then went to Virginia Tech to pursue a master’s in civil engineering.

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

I enjoy painting natural scenery and drawing portraits.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I enjoy reading horror novels, even though I can't watch horror movies. Reading allows me to experience the suspense and thrill in a way that feels more manageable.

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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 Nandi Pointer, a doctoral candidate in media studies. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Exit to Entry: Black Expats and Teaching English as a Fugitive, Liberatory Praxis.”

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

My research focuses on Black male identity formation in expats who enact teaching English abroad as a fugitive, liberatory praxis.

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

A relatively new area of study, many Americans are unaware of Black men who leave their native country to teach English overseas. My research investigates how the uneven distribution of justice and equality in the U.S., coupled with the violence that targets the Black male body, creates the desire to enter spaces in which their blackness might be seen and read differently.

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

My passion for education and media.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I love interviewing people and learning more about their experience as expats overseas.

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

I was an ESL instructor at King Faisal University in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia.

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

I enjoy traveling, playing the flute and spending time with our dog, Ginger, in my free time.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

My aunts are The Pointer Sisters.

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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.

Off

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 Casey Hunt, a doctoral candidate in the ATLAS Institute, specializing in human-robot interaction and participatory design. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Building a Shared Future: A Toolkit for Collaborative Robot Design.”

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

My work explores how to design prototyping materials to help non-engineers meaningfully contribute their expertise and perspective during the design of robots.

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

After being part of the development of bespoke hardware and software for a cancer research startup, I became aware of the challenges of these processes. I became interested in representing the voices of users and navigating tradeoffs in technology development.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I love listening and collaborating with people. Everyone has really interesting and impactful ideas about the future of technology, I love hearing these ideas and providing a platform that allows these ideas to be shared.

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

Quality assurance and quality control in the pharmaceutical industry.

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

Crochet, hiking, camping, cooking and gardening.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

When I was in high school, I saw Earth Wind and Fire live in concert five times at various music festivals in Colorado and Wyoming.

Off

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’s is Heiko Kabutz, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering, specializing in robotics. His 3MT presentation’s title is, “Enhancing Locomotion through Shape Morphing in Insect Robots.”

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

I research how locomotion in confined spaces by robotic systems can be enhanced through the development of shape-morphing insect-scale robots capable of omnidirectional terrain-adaptation.

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

I like robots.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I get to play with robots and animals.

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

Study and build robots in my free time.

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

Downhill unicycling and white-water kayaking.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I have unicycled down every outdoor stair set with at least 3 steps, a total of 456 stair sets, on the ��«����Ƶ campus.

Off

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’s is Heather Kenny-Duddela, a doctoral candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology, specializing in the behavioral ecology of birds. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Feathered Flings: The Dating Lives of Barn Swallows.”

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

I seek to understand how movement behavior and social interactions contribute to the process of mate choice in barn swallows.

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

I enjoy being outside and observing animals in their natural habitats. I think it is fascinating to try and understand the lives and behaviors of animals. I became interested in birds after taking an ornithology class in undergrad, and I enjoy the process of studying wild birds, working together with a research team, and discovering new information about how the world works.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I love getting to handle barn swallows and see them up close. This type of interaction gives me so much appreciation for wildlife and motivates me to help protect wild birds.

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

I received a Master's degree in Biology from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, where I studied the response of bluebirds to experimental traffic noise. Before starting my graduate studies, I held several research positions including as the lab manager of a frog research lab in Washington state, and a post-bac researcher at the Archbold Biological Station in central Florida.

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

Outside of work, I enjoy playing Ultimate Frisbee, doing Zumba and salsa dancing, and hiking. I also like reading fantasy and sci-fi novels.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

My husband is from south India and his first language is Telugu. I'm working on learning Telugu so that I can speak with his mom and other relatives who still live in India.

Off

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’s is Anna Deese, a doctoral candidate in education policy, specializing in school district governance. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Fixing the problems of local control.”

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

The local control of American school districts is generally a pretty nifty thing but has long been used to hurt minoritized racial groups; I'd like to fix that.

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

My experience as an elected board member was amazing, but brought up a lot of questions about my role—was I serving the students or the community? Did that role change based on the issues we were discussing? There are a lot of materials out there that try to help school board members do their jobs well, but I kept wondering who defined what a "good job" was, and what students were best served by this "good" job. 

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I get to live my values with this research. And I get to make maps.

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

As a "mature" student, I have had a lot of different experiences—I served in the Army National Guard, worked as a management consultant, taught high school science in Chicago and Oregon, and helped run a company focused on the professional development of teachers. I also served as an elected school board member in Montana and have my principal's licensure. 

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

I'm a mother so that takes up a lot of time—and i enjoy it. I like to read mystery/thriller stories.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

Two related things folks should know about me: My blood type is B+. And I'm very clumsy. Folks in the front row should look out. 

Off

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’s is Casey Middleton, a doctoral candidate in computer science, specializing in infectious disease modeling. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3.”

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

I use math to understand how we can control the spread of infectious diseases.

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

Computer science offers a flexible program to develop many computational tools to answer scientific questions!

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I spend every day doing work that can create a world with less sickness and death.

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

Housing policy analyst, Zumba teacher, pharmacy technician, high school geometry teacher.

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

I love rock climbing, trail running, downhill and backcountry skiing, embroidery, and sewing!

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I can doggy paddle super fast.

Off

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’s is Aoife Henry, a doctoral candidate in electrical, computer and energy engineering, specializing in forecast-enabled wind farm control. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Directing Turbine with Foresight: The Shepard and the Sheepdog find a Crystal Ball.”

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

Directing turbines in a wind farm in a way that is adaptable to unpredictable and varying wind conditions and can produce the most overall wind farm power, as well as satisfying other objectives e.g. reducing damage, cooperating with the grid, coordinating with energy storage systems such as batteries etc.

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

A series of happy accidents—completed my Master's thesis at CU ��«����Ƶ in the pre-vaccine pandemic days as part of the Colorado-Europe Exchange program, my thesis supervisor convinced me to come back for graduate school, and my current supervisor, Lucy, happened to have an opening for me. I'd wanted to work for NREL for sometime and live somewhere amenable to running, so I had my eye on ��«����Ƶ for a while.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I love coding and I love working with brilliant people at NREL and beyond who are enthusiastic to share their wisdom and practice their skills for the greater good.

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

A lot of biking and studying in Zurich.

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

I run most days and now and again I do standup comedy.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I speak the barely alive language of Irish Gaelic, because my Dad has always been an enthusiast and spoke it to us growing up. When I was a child, I also spoke the virtually dead language of Scots Gaelic, because the same father put us in Gaelic-speaking schools where we grew up in Edinburgh. The benefit of this is that I can safely speak in private to my father and a select few friends in any public setting.

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This annual event, which showcases graduate students' ability to distill their nine-hour thesis down to three minutes, returns to campus

  If you go

Who: Everyone
What: Three Minute Thesis final competition
When: Feb. 13, 4 to 6 p.m.
Where: Glenn Miller Ballroom (UMC)

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, an annual tradition that celebrates graduate students while they explain their thesis research in three minutes or less, will take place on Feb. 13, 2025, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom.

Eleven students will be competing in this event, which is free and open to the public, but . This year’s competitors include:

• Anna Deese, educational foundations, policy and practice
• Celeste Guiles, aerospace engineering
• Aoife Henry, electrical, computer and energy engineering
• Casey Hunt, ATLAS Institute
• Heiko Kabutz, mechanical engineering
• Heather Kenny-Duddela, ecology and evolutionary biology
• Casey Middleton, computer science
• Nandi Pointer, media studies
• Hunter Ray, aerospace engineering
• Anna Turner, media studies
• Marwa Yacouti, aerospace engineering

The 3MT event began in 2008 when the state of Queensland, Australia, suffered from a severe drought. To conserve water, residents were encouraged to time their showers, and many people had a three-minute egg timer fixed to the wall in their bathroom. The then-Dean of the University of Queensland Graduate School, Emeritus Professor Alan Lawson, decided to apply the same approach with his students in a first of its kind competition.

3MT challenges graduate students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience. To prepare, beginning last fall, 31 students were asked to participate in a series of workshops focusing on storytelling, writing, presentation skills and improv comedy techniques. They then held a preliminary competition for the 16 remaining and whittled the competition down to eleven finalists.

The graduate students competing during this year’s 3MT finals will be evaluated by a panel of judges on their comprehension, content, engagement and communication. Judges this year include 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.

The winner of the competition will receive $1,500 in prize money and will have the chance to compete at the state and regional competitions as the ��«����Ƶ’s representative. The runner-up and the People’s Choice winner, voted on by the live audience, will also receive funding.

More information about the competition is available on the Three Minute Thesis web page.

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