Ten students participated in this year鈥檚 final competition for a chance at prize money and a chance to represent 兔子先生传媒文化作品 at the regional competition

Drones as teammates, landing safely from space, and local control of school districts were a few of the topics presented during the eighth annual Three Minute Thesis Competition on Feb. 13, 2025.

This event challenges graduate students to craft a three-minute elevator pitch for their complex鈥攁nd sometimes difficult to make sense of鈥攔esearch in a way that even an everyday person could understand.

This year, the ten competitors did just that to a packed Glenn Miller Ballroom and a panel of judges who evaluated the competitors on comprehension, content, engagement and communication.

鈥淚t is of vital importance that the public understand the valuable work that graduate students are doing every day, and how it can impact them in lasting and positive ways, and the Three Minute Thesis competition does just that,鈥� said Scott Adler, dean of the Graduate School. 鈥淐ongratulations to those that won and to everyone that participated. You all did amazing and make me proud to be dean of the Graduate School.鈥�

The 2025 winners are:

First Place

Aoife Henry, electrical, computer and energy engineering, Directing Wind Turbines with Foresight: The Shepherd and the Sheepdog Find a Crystal Ball

Second Place

Casey Middleton, computer science, Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3

People鈥檚 Choice

Heather Kenny-Duddela, ecology and evolutionary biology, Feathered Flings: The Dating Lives of Barn Swallows

Henry will receive $1500 in prize money and will represent 兔子先生传媒文化作品 at the Western Association of Graduate Schools competition. Middleton and Kenny-Duddela will receive $750 and $500 in research funds, respectively.

Judges for this year鈥檚 event are 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; Robert Streeter, site supervisor at Polar Field Services and 3MT 2023 winner; and Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming. Bud Coleman, professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance, will be the event鈥檚 emcee.

More information about the 2026 Three Minute Thesis Competition will be available on the Three Minute Thesis competition webpage this fall.

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This annual event, which showcases graduate student鈥檚 ability to distill their nine-hour thesis down to three minutes, comes back Feb. 13 at 4 p.m.

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

That鈥檚 the question that 11 graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School鈥檚 eighth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) final competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center鈥檚 Glenn Miller Ballroom on Feb. 13, 2025, from 4 to 6 p.m.

This event challenges students to explain their thesis to the general public. They are then judged by a panel of judges from across the university. Winners of the event will be announced at the end of the program and the audience will have the opportunity to vote for the People鈥檚 Choice award.

While the event is free and open to the public, space is limited and  for in-person attendance. The event .

  If you go

Date: Feb. 13, 2025
Time: 4 - 6 p.m.
Location: University Memorial Center鈥檚 Glenn Miller Ballroom

This year鈥檚 competitors include:

• Anna Deese, educational foundations, policy and practice, 鈥淲hen Students & School-Voters Differ: The Promise and Peril of Local Control鈥�
• Celeste Guiles, aerospace engineering, 鈥淏ringing You Safely Home from Outer Space鈥�
• Aoife Henry, electrical, computer and energy engineering, 鈥淒irecting Turbine with Foresight: The Shepherd and the Sheepdog find a Crystal Ball.鈥�
• Casey Hunt, ATLAS Institute, 鈥淏uilding a Shared Future: A Toolkit for Collaborative Robot Design鈥�
• Heiko Kabutz, mechanical engineering, 鈥淓nhancing Locomotion through Shape Morphing in Insect Robots鈥�
• Heather Kenny-Duddela, ecology and evolutionary biology, 鈥淔eathered Flings: The Dating Lives of Barn Swallows鈥�
• Casey Middleton, computer science, 鈥淭esting, Testing, 1, 2, 3鈥�
• Nandi Pointer, media studies, 鈥淓xit to Entry: Black Expatriates and Teaching English as Fugitive, Liberatory Praxis鈥�
• Hunter Ray, aerospace engineering, 鈥淒rones to the Rescue: From Tools to Teammates in Public Safety鈥�
• Anna Turner, media studies, 鈥淏uilding Bridges through Popular Media鈥�
• Marwa Yacouti, aerospace engineering, 鈥淯nveiling the Hidden Stories of Materials鈥�

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 graduate students participated in a series of workshops focusing on storytelling, writing, presentation skills and improv comedy techniques. They then held a preliminary competition at the end of the fall 2024 semester and whittled the competition down to eleven finalists.

The graduate students competing at this year鈥檚 3MT finals will be evaluated by a panel of judges on their comprehension, content, engagement and communication.

The winner of the competition will receive $1,500 in prize money and will have the chance to compete at the regional competition as the University of Colorado Boulder鈥檚 representative. The runner-up and the People鈥檚 Choice winner, voted on by the live audience, will also receive funding.

Judges for this year鈥檚 event are 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; Robert Streeter, site supervisor at Polar Field Services and 3MT 2023 winner; and Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming. Bud Coleman, professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance, will be the event鈥檚 emcee.

More information about the competition is available on the Graduate School's 3MT web page.

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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鈥檚 the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School鈥檚 eighth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center鈥檚 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; Robert Streeter, site supervisor at Polar Field Services and 3MT 2023 winner; and Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming.

In the days leading up to the event, we鈥檒l feature each of the competitors. Today is Celeste Guiles, a doctoral candidate in aerospace engineering, with a focus on fluids structures and materials, specifically human-machine teaming. Her 3MT presentation鈥檚 title is, 鈥�Bringing You Safely Home from Outer Space.鈥�

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

Reconstructing the chemistry puzzle of spacecraft heat shields.

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

The safety of space flight, whether for luxury, exploration, monitoring Earth or a dystopian future where we may colonize in space.

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

I sought to find an interesting field where I can apply my enthusiasm for science and help progress our knowledge of the world/outer space.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

Collaborating with people, from modelers to materials experts, NASA employees to students at universities across the globe.

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

I enjoy drawing, practicing kendo, cooking, reading espionage or mystery books, watching TV and sometimes hiking.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I have a substantial rock collection.

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鈥檚 the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School鈥檚 eighth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center鈥檚 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; Robert Streeter, site supervisor at Polar Field Services and 3MT 2023 winner; and Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming.

In the days leading up to the event, we鈥檒l feature each of the competitors. Today is Hunter Ray, a doctoral candidate in aerospace engineering, with a focus on autonomous systems, specifically human-machine teaming. His 3MT presentation鈥檚 title is, 鈥�Drones to the Rescue: From Tools to Teammates in Public Safety.鈥�

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

I research how we can better design complex aerospace systems, like satellites and drones, to be easily operated by people.

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

My research enables first responders to make a bigger impact with fewer resources by keeping them safe and aware of situations.

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

While in my previous job, I recognized that while our physical platforms can perform incredible individual feats, aligning human expectations with a platform鈥檚 execution remains a key challenge. Too often we expect human systems to conform to how the machine can think, instead of making the machine adapt to human methods of cooperation.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

Whether responders are facing massive disasters, which are becoming more intense and unpredictable, or routine operations, this technology can make an immediate impact in keeping our community safe. Feeling like I'm making an impact.

What did you do before coming to 兔子先生传媒文化作品 for graduate school?

I designed spacecraft systems including moon landers, satellites, hypersonic planes and rockets.

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

I spend a lot of time training to be a better first responder including how to dive under the ice, rescue drowning people, cut open a car, or carry a litter down a trail. Otherwise, you can find me skiing in the trees.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I'm too tall to be an astronaut.

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鈥檚 the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School鈥檚 eighth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center鈥檚 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; Robert Streeter, site supervisor at Polar Field Services and 3MT 2023 winner; and Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming.

In the days leading up to the event, we鈥檒l feature each of the competitors. Today is Marwa Yacouti, a doctoral candidate in aerospace engineering sciences, with a focus on materials. Her 3MT presentation鈥檚 title is, 鈥�Unveiling the hidden stories of materials.鈥�

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鈥檚 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 兔子先生传媒文化作品 for graduate school?

Before coming to 兔子先生传媒文化作品 for graduate school, I lived in France for two years and then went to Virginia Tech to pursue a master鈥檚 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.

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鈥檚 the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School鈥檚 eighth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center鈥檚 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; Robert Streeter, site supervisor at Polar Field Services and 3MT 2023 winner; and Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming.

In the days leading up to the event, we鈥檒l feature each of the competitors. Today is Nandi Pointer, a doctoral candidate in media studies. Her 3MT presentation鈥檚 title is, 鈥�Exit to Entry: Black Expats and Teaching English as a Fugitive, Liberatory Praxis.鈥�

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 兔子先生传媒文化作品 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.

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鈥檚 the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School鈥檚 eighth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center鈥檚 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; Robert Streeter, site supervisor at Polar Field Services and 3MT 2023 winner; and Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming.

In the days leading up to the event, we鈥檒l feature each of the competitors. Today is Anna Turner, a doctoral candidate in media studies, specializing in political media. Her 3MT presentation鈥檚 title is, 鈥�Building Bridges through Popular Media.鈥�

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 兔子先生传媒文化作品 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鈥檚 the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School鈥檚 eighth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center鈥檚 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; Robert Streeter, site supervisor at Polar Field Services and 3MT 2023 winner; and Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming.

In the days leading up to the event, we鈥檒l 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鈥檚 title is, 鈥�Building a Shared Future: A Toolkit for Collaborative Robot Design.鈥�

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 兔子先生传媒文化作品 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鈥檚 the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School鈥檚 eighth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center鈥檚 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; Robert Streeter, site supervisor at Polar Field Services and 3MT 2023 winner; and Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming.

In the days leading up to the event, we鈥檒l feature each of the competitors. Today鈥檚 is Heiko Kabutz, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering, specializing in robotics. His 3MT presentation鈥檚 title is, 鈥�Enhancing Locomotion through Shape Morphing in Insect Robots.鈥�

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 兔子先生传媒文化作品 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 University of Colorado Boulder 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鈥檚 the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School鈥檚 eighth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center鈥檚 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; Robert Streeter, site supervisor at Polar Field Services and 3MT 2023 winner; and Sonia DeLuca Fern谩ndez, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming.

In the days leading up to the event, we鈥檒l feature each of the competitors. Today鈥檚 is Heather Kenny-Duddela, a doctoral candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology, specializing in the behavioral ecology of birds. Her 3MT presentation鈥檚 title is, 鈥�Feathered Flings: The Dating Lives of Barn Swallows.鈥�

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 兔子先生传媒文化作品 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.

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