鶹ƷƵAnnounces Winners of 2025 ‘Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition’

by Jonathan Fraysure | Thursday, Mar 27, 2025
鶹ƷƵ has announced the winners of the ninth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition hosted by the Graduate College.

鶹ƷƵ has announced the winners of the ninth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition hosted by the Graduate College.

The goal of the 3MT® competition is for 鶹ƷƵgraduate students from all colleges and departments to cultivate the ability to explain their research, including both breadth and significance, in a language appropriate to an audience containing both specialists and non-specialists, in three minutes or less. The 3MT® competition provides 鶹ƷƵgraduate students with the opportunity to sharpen their professional development skills, reignite their passion for discovery, promote preeminent research and foster community.

“The 3MT® competition continues to showcase the impressive talent and dedication of FAU’s graduate students,” said , Ph.D., dean of the Graduate College and associate vice president of academic affairs at the John D. MacArthur Campus, Jupiter. “Each year, I am amazed by the depth and impact of the research being conducted across disciplines. Our students demonstrate an extraordinary ability to translate complex findings into compelling, accessible narratives. Their presentations not only highlight their academic excellence, but also their commitment to advancing knowledge that benefits society.”

A total of 35 graduate students pitched their research projects to a live audience, with 12 awarded scholarship prizes throughout the entirety of the competition. A panel of distinguished 鶹ƷƵcommunity members determined the 2025 first-place, runner-up and second runner-up championship winners. More than 350 online votes submitted by public viewers named the People’s Choice Award winner.

The championship winners of the 2025 3MT® competition are:

鶹ƷƵchampionship winner and recipient of the Dr. Eric H. Shaw 3MT® Championship Endowment Award
Title: “Shrinking the Lab: HIV Testing Anytime, Anywhere”
Presented by: Omair Faqah, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Faculty advisor: Waseem Asghar, Ph.D.
鶹ƷƵ3MT® first runner-up
Title: “Scanning the Seas: Micro-CT Analysis of Cetacean Vertebral Bone”
Presented by: Jaime Knaub, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Faculty advisor: Marianne Porter, Ph.D.
鶹ƷƵ3MT® second runner-up
Title: “Begging the Question: Born Loud, Stay Loud?”
Presented by: Ray Pressman, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Faculty advisor: Rindy Anderson, Ph.D.
鶹ƷƵPeople’s Choice Award winner
Title: “When Two Become One: Investigating the Behavior of Hybrid African Monkeys”
Presented by: Kayla Ahlness, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Faculty advisor: Kate Detwiler, Ph.D.

Faqah, the championship winner and recipient of the $2,500 Dr. Eric H. Shaw 3MT® Championship Award, will represent 鶹ƷƵat the Conference of Florida Graduate Schools on April 8 at the Boca Raton campus.

鶹ƷƵ3MT® is a venue for graduate students from various disciplines to interact with one another and discuss their research and its implications. The competition provides an opportunity for undergraduates, alumni, industry partners, various on-campus departments, institutions and the community to gain exposure to high-level, cutting-edge research at FAU.

For more information on FAU’s 3MT® competition, click .