Kansas State University

Eleven graduate students advance to Three Minute Thesis final competition

Submitted by Megan Miller

Eleven master's and doctoral students have been selected as finalists in the Three Minute Thesis, or 3MT, competition coordinated by the Graduate School. The final competition will take place at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 19 in the K-State Student Union Ballroom. The competition is open to the public. K-State and Manhattan community members who plan to attend are asked to RSVP.

The 3MT challenges graduate students to give a compelling presentation of their research topic to an audience of non-experts in three minutes with just a single static slide. This is an excellent skills development experience, as it helps graduate students develop an "elevator pitch" about their research. The 3MT is also a very engaging way for the community to learn about the variety of research being conducted by K-State graduate students and their faculty mentors.

The finalists were chosen among 56 participants in the first round of competition on Feb. 5. Participants represented seven colleges and 20 academic programs, including five graduate students from the Olathe campus.

The 3MT finalists:

• Ashley Baranczuk, doctoral student in kinesiology, presenting "Can GLP-1's reduce exercising blood pressure and cardiovascular risk?"
• Jacob Miller-Klugesherz, doctoral student in sociology, presenting "Heal soil, heal soul: Enhancing cover cropping and farmer well-being in Pottawatomie County (KS) and the U.S. Corn-Soybean Belt."
• Joshua Jackson, master's student in entomology, presenting "Lasers and Ticks and AI, Oh My! Using infrared spectrometry to detect tick-borne pathogens."
• Justin Montney, doctoral student in kinesiology, presenting "Rehab Redefined: Unlocking Sustained Exercise for Lifelong Health."
• Muazzama Mushtaq, master's student in agronomy, presenting "Farming for the Future: 31 Years of Soil Research in the Fight Against Climate Change."
• Sabreena Parray, master's student in agronomy, presenting "Pearl Millet for the Future: Discovering Drought-Tolerant Forage Lines."
• Sagar Pokhrel, master's student in Horticulture and Natural Resources — urban food systems, presenting "Produce Safety Posters for Non-English-Speaking Growers."
• Shivaprasad Doddabematti Prakash, doctoral student in grain science, presenting "Unwrapping the Sweet Mystery: Is your Cookie Dough a Safe Delight?"
• Shubhangi Arvelli, doctoral student in biological and agricultural engineering, presenting "From Trash to Treasure: Transforming Food Waste for a Sustainable Future."
• Sydney Weber, doctoral student in economics, presenting "Talking Tariffs: Lessons from the First Trade War."
• Vikas Kumar Galipothu, doctoral student in horticulture and natural resources, presenting "UV disinfection tunnel as a tool in fresh produce safety."

Finalists will compete for several awards. 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 4 in Indianapolis. The second-place presenter receives a $250 scholarship. The audience is invited to vote for their favorite presentation of the night to receive the people's choice award, a $125 scholarship. New this year, K-State's Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship will sponsor a $500 award for the best commercial potential. K-State's chapter of Sigma Xi will also provide sponsorship for the 3MT.

Judges for the 3MT final competition:

• Beth Montelone, senior associate vice president for research
• Adam Walker, K-State Alumni Association president and CEO
• Rachel Mui, assistant professor of management
• Endy Lopes Kailer, doctoral student in agronomy and 2024 3MT first place winner
• Jack Sytsma, doctoral student in biology and student representative of K-State's chapter of Sigma Xi
• Mary Ice, K-State alumna and advocate
• Jason Smith, president and CEO of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce

Visit the 3MT website to learn more about the competition, view presentations of previous finalists and winners, and RSVP for the final competition.

Questions about K-State's Three Minute Thesis Competition can be directed to Megan Miller, Graduate School assistant director of student success, at mmmiller@k-state.edu.