Agronomy doctoral student to represent K-State at regional Three Minute Thesis competition
Friday, March 1, 2024
MANHATTAN — Endy Lopes Kailer, doctoral student in agronomy, Minas Gerais, Brazil, won first place at Kansas State University's Three Minute Thesis, or 3MT, competition on Thursday, Feb. 22, for her presentation "Rooting for Change: Soil Fungi and the Future of Climate Resilience."
The final round of the 3MT featured 12 graduate students chosen from a pool of 69 who participated in the first round of competition on Feb. 7 — the largest number of students to ever participate in K-State's 3MT.
As the first-place winner, Kailer received a $500 scholarship and will represent K-State in the 2024 Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools 3MT Competition on April 5 in St. Louis. Her major professor is Charles W. Rice, university distinguished professor of agronomy.
Kailer was the second-place winner in K-State's 2023 3MT competition, and she is the second student from agronomy to win K-State's 3MT. Manjot Kaur Rekhi, doctoral student in agronomy, was K-State's 3MT winner in 2021. Agronomy, chemistry, and entomology are the only departments to have two winners of K-State's 3MT competition.
"3MT makes us see the big picture and the true impact of our research and how to translate complicated terms and findings to a general audience," Kailer said. "I have gained invaluable communication skills in both years that I participated in the 3MT. I also met so many people from other departments that I would never have met daily — it was a great opportunity to practice networking, showcase my research and connect with people."
Kylee Jennings, a master's student in regional and community planning, Wichita, won second place for her research presentation, "Are Mobile Homes the Solution to the Affordable Housing Crisis?"
Jennings received a $250 scholarship. Her major professor is Susmita Rishi, assistant professor of landscape architecture and regional and community planning.
"Being in the last semester of my program, it was challenging to dedicate time to an 'extra' thing, but it definitely benefited my research in the end," Jennings said. "It forced me to summarize the most salient aspects of the research and be able to communicate them clearly. Plus, it gave me confidence in public speaking!"
Fei Xyza Asuncion, a doctoral student in biological and agricultural engineering, Philippines, was selected by the audience as the People's Choice winner for her presentation, "Improving the Effectiveness of Insect Control by Predicting the Motion of Insecticide Particles." Asuncion earned a $125 scholarship.
"My whole 3MT competition was a wonderful learning experience," Asuncion said. "It called for the challenge of effectively communicating our scientific work to audiences who are not in the same field as ours. There's just too much to discuss in any research, so choosing the key elements to present and how to simplify the presentation within three minutes were my biggest challenges.”
Asuncion's co-major professors are Donghai Wang, professor of biological and agricultural engineering department; Mark Casada, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering; and Ronaldo Maghirang, professor of biological and agricultural engineering.
"Participating in the 3MT is an excellent way for graduate students to develop their research communication skills," said Claudia Petrescu, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School. "Employers are looking for job candidates who are both highly knowledgeable in their discipline of study and have strong communication skills. The ability to communicate their research concisely using language relatable for a diverse audience is a useful tool for graduate students as they launch their professional careers. Congratulations to this year's finalists and award winners for their outstanding presentations of their graduate work!"
Along with Kailer, Jennings and Asuncion, the final round of the 3MT also featured the following finalists:
Dena Bunnel, doctoral student in security studies, Garnett; Ryley Griffin, master's student in grain science, Lenexa.
From out of state: Jordan Williams, master's student in civil engineering, Independence, Missouri; Hazel Scribner, master's student in entomology, Lincoln, Rhode Island; Kendra Marstall, master's student in public health, Murphy, Texas.
From out of country: Irosha Wanithunga, doctoral student in agronomy, Sri Lanka; Shivaprasad Doddabematti Prakash, doctoral student in grain science, India; Megan Bourns, doctoral student in agronomy, Canada; Juhwan Lim, doctoral student in hospitality administration, South Korea.
The judges for the event were Abby Kreznor, doctoral student in chemistry and 2023 3MT first-place winner; Jason Smith, president and CEO of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce; Susan Adamchak, Manhattan mayor pro tem; Linda Cook, former K-State chief of staff and director of community relations; Jane Schuh, associate dean of research and graduate programs for the College of Agriculture and research director for K-State Research and Extension; Jack Sytsma, doctoral student in biology and student representative of K-State's chapter of Sigma Xi; and Larie Schoap, K-State alumnus and Manhattan community member.
The 3MT was first held at the University of Queensland in 2008, and it was first held at K-State in 2016. Competitions are conducted at more than 900 universities in 85 countries. Questions about K-State's 3MT may be directed to Megan Miller, Graduate School assistant director of student success, at mmmiller@k-state.edu.
