Kansas State University

Attend 3MT final competition today in Union Ballroom

Submitted by Michael Sellman

Twelve finalists will compete in the final round of the Three Minute Thesis, or 3MT, competition at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, in the K-State Student Union Ballroom.

• Irosha Wanithunga, doctoral student in agronomy, "Nitrogen Fixing Microbial Products: A Solution for Nitrous Oxide Emissions and Sustainable Agriculture?"
• Dena Bunnel, doctoral student in security studies, "Growing Peace: The impact of agricultural development on resilience in conflict-affected Nigeria."
• Hazel Scribner, master's student in entomology, "Pest Management is Buckets of Fun."
• Kendra Marstall, master's student in public health, "Physical Activity in Rural Long-term Care."
• Shivaprasad Doddabematti Prakash, doctoral student in agronomy, "Unwrapping the Sweet Mystery: Is Your Cookie Dough a Safe Delight?"
• Fei Xyza Asuncion, doctoral student in biological and agricultural engineering, "Improving the effectiveness of insect control by predicting the motion of insecticide particles."
• Megan Bourns, doctoral student in agronomy, "Sustainable Sufficiency: Phosphorus fertility, reimagined."
• Juhwan Lim, doctoral student in hospitality administration, "Interview behaviors tell personality traits for better hiring decisions."
• Ryley Griffin, master's student in grain science, "Whole Soybeans: Trash or Treasure?"
• Kylee Jennings, master's student in regional and community planning, "Are Mobile Homes the Solution to the Affordable Housing Crisis?"
• Endy Lopes Kailer, doctoral student in agronomy, "Rooting for Change: Soil Fungi and the Future of Climate Resilience."
• Jordan Williams, master's student in civil engineering, "The End is not The End: Swine Manure, a Love Story."

Finalists were selected from the first round of the competition on Feb. 7 that included a record 69 participants. Final round judges will select a first- and second-place winner while the audience will select a people's choice award winner.

The first-place winner will receive a $500 scholarship and will represent K-State at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools 3MT competition on April 5 in St. Louis. The second-place winner will receive a $250 scholarship.

Additionally, the audience is invited to vote on their favorite presentation of the night to select the people's choice winner, who will receive a $125 scholarship.

The 3MT competition challenges graduate students to present their graduate research topic and its significance to a non-expert audience in three minutes using a single static slide. The competition was first held in Queensland in 2008 and was first held at K-State in 2016.

The event is free and open to the public. It will begin with a social period at 5:30 p.m. with light snacks and refreshments, and the competition begins at 6 p.m.

More information is available on the 3MT website.