About the Competition
The 6th Annual UAlbany 3MT will be virtual for the preliminary round and in-person for the final round!
Currently enrolled doctoral and master's students in all disciplines at UAlbany will be eligible to participate in 3MT®. The work presented must have been conducted at UAlbany. Ideally, students should be in the final stages of their graduate program and have some conclusions and impacts from their research.
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First Place: $1,000
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Second Place: $750
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Third Place: $500
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People's Choice: $250 (selected via audience vote)
3MT is a competition for research master’s and doctoral students to develop and showcase their research communication skills.
The first 3MT was held at The University of Queensland (UQ) in 2008 with 160 graduate students competing. Enthusiasm for the 3MT concept grew, and its adoption by numerous universities led to the development of an international competition in 2010. Today students from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Hong Kong take part in their own regional and national events.
You may view the 2023 Final Round on the Graduate School YouTube Channel.
The 2024 Preliminary Rounds will be held the week of February 19, 2024.
The 2024 Final Round will be held the week of March 4, 2024.
To learn more, register to attend an online information session:
- 11/30/2023 12:30 to 1:00 PM ET
- 11/30/2023 1:00 to 1:30 PM ET
- 11/30/2023 6:30 to 7:00 PM ET
- 11/30/2023 7:00 to 7:30 PM ET
- 12/4/2023 12:30 to 1:00 PM ET
- 12/4/2023 1:00 to 1:30 PM ET
- 12/4/2023 6:30 to 7:00 PM ET
- 12/4/2023 7:00 to 7:30 PM ET
Currently enrolled doctoral and master's students in all disciplines at UAlbany will be eligible to participate in 3MT®.
Work presented must have been conducted at UAlbany.
Students should be in the final stages of graduate school, so they have some sound conclusions and impacts from their research.
Alumni are not eligible.
Register to participate by 11:59 a.m. on Monday, February 12, 2024.
If your slide or video is not ready at the time of registration, you must upload your slide to 3MT PowerPoint Slides and email your video link to [email protected].
Your PowerPoint slide must be one static widescreen size (16:9). In PowerPoint, click the Design tab, then click Slide Size and choose Widescreen (16:9).
Presentation Title
On the registration form, you will be asked to include the title of your presentation. Please aim to keep your title catchy, informative, concise, and true to your research.
An important element of the competition is communicating your research in a concise and engaging manner and that starts with the title. Try to avoid long titles with technical jargon.
Presentation Slide
All participating students must have a single, static PowerPoint slide (no animations, no transitions) to accompany their presentation. The slide must be in widescreen (16:9) format.
When creating your slide, remember that the slide is another tool to help you explain and illustrate your research. Avoid including too much text on your slide or having a slide that looks too busy, which can distract from rather than enhance your presentation.
Think carefully about what is most important to include on your slide to tell the story of your research. Oftentimes the most memorable slides are simple and leave the audience with a clear snapshot of the research.
Presentation Video
Please follow the UAlbany 3MT Virtual Competition Guide for more information on preparing your video.
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A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any description are allowed. The slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration.
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No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
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No additional props (e.g. cue cards, costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
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Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
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Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps or songs).
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Presentations are to commence from the stage.
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Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech.
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The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.
Content
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Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background to the research question being addressed and its significance?
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Did the presentation clearly describe the key results of the research including conclusions and outcomes?
Comprehension
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Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
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Was the thesis topic, key results and research significance and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
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Did the speaker avoid scientific jargon, explain terminology and provide adequate background information to illustrate points?
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Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation? Or did they elaborate for too long on one aspect or was the presentation rushed?
Engagement
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Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
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Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
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Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience's attention?
Communication
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Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or generalize their research?
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Did the speaker have sufficient stage presence, eye contact and vocal range? Did the speaker maintain a steady pace, and have a confident stance?
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Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation? Was it clear, legible, and concise?
Resources
UAlbany 3MT Virtual Competition Guidelines
Videos
Watch 3MT Presentations from around the world
Six Components of a Successful 3MT Speech
3MT: The Three Most Common Mistakes
3MT: 3 Tips to Help You Prepare a Winning Presentation
Articles
UAlbany 3MT Virtual Competition Guide
First Place & People's Choice: Mónica Ventura, Chemistry - PhD
Title: The Twig is Up: Stopping Illegal Loggers in Their Tracks
Advisor: Rabi Musah
Second Place: Jayanta Talukder, Economics - PhD
Title: Reverse Migration and Occupational Choice: Evidence from COVID-Induced Lockdown in India
Advisor: Chun-Yu Ho
Third Place: JJ Kathe, Communication - PhD
Title: Bugs, Woods, and Drinking Water
Advisor: Robert Breen
2023 Finalist included:
First | Last | Discipline | Year in Program | Type of Research | Title of Presentation | Primary Advisor | Advisor's Title | Advisor's Department |
Jamie | Corro | Biomedical Sciences - PhD | Fifth or Higher | Dissertation | Visualization of isoniazid persistence in mycobacteria with hibernating ribosomes | Anil Ojha | Associate Professor | Biomedical Sciences |
JJ | Kathe | Biodiversity, Conservation, and Policy - MS | Third | Thesis | Bugs, Woods, and Drinking Water | Robert Breen | Adjunct Faculty | Geography & Planning |
Pallavi | Khurana | Communication - PhD | PhD Candidate/All But Dissertation (ABD) | Other Original Research Project | How do social media #hashtags influence impression formation? | Archana Krishnan | Associate Professor | Communication |
Jayanta | Talukder | Economics - PhD | PhD Candidate/All But Dissertation (ABD) | Dissertation | Reverse Migration and Occupational Choice: Evidence from COVID-Induced Lockdown in India | Chun-Yu Ho | Associate Professor | Economics |
Mónica | Ventura | Chemistry - PhD | Fifth or Higher | Dissertation | The Twig is Up: Stopping Illegal Loggers in Their Tracks | Rabi Musah | Professor | Chemistry |
Shangyun | Zhou | Counseling Psychology - PhD | Fifth or Higher | Dissertation | Intervening suicidal ideation in Asian college students - the roles of family perfectionism, familial interpersonal needs, familial meaning in life | Hung-Bin Sheu | Associate Professor | Educational & Counseling Psychology |
2023 Preliminary Round competitors included:
First | Last | Discipline | Year in Program | Type of Research | Title of Presentation | Primary Advisor | Advisor's Title | Advisor's Department |
Riley | Alpuche | Chemistry - PhD | First | Other Original Research Project | Quantification of DNA in Body Fluids | Igor Lednev | Distinguished Professor | Chemistry |
Zhixue | Bai | Chemistry - PhD | PhD Candidate/All But Dissertation (ABD) | Dissertation | Younger Generation Powerful Tool for RNA Associated Drug Design: Free Energy Calculation Coupled with Biased MD Simulation | Alan Chen | Associate Professor | Chemistry |
Samadrita | Biswas | Chemistry - PhD | PhD Candidate/All But Dissertation (ABD) | Dissertation | Effect of fluorinated alcohols on the protein folding: A molecular dynamic simulation study | John Welch | Professor | Chemistry |
Kewsi | Burgess | Curriculum and Instruction - PhD | PhD Candidate/All But Dissertation (ABD) | Dissertation | Black Educators: a tale of one teacher's approach to harnessing the resources of Black boys. | Julie Learned | Associate Professor | Educational Theory & Practice |
Hanh | Dinh | Curriculum and Instruction - PhD | PhD Candidate/All But Dissertation (ABD) | Dissertation | “Multicompetence! Not Linguistic Deficiency!”: Helping Bilinguals’ Word Selections in Writing | Istvan Kecskes | Distinguished Professor | Educational Theory & Practice |
Chunyu | Guo | Economics - PhD | PhD Candidate/All But Dissertation (ABD) | Dissertation | Regulator Preference and Underinvestment in Water Infrastructure | Cuicui Chen | Assistant Professor | Economics |
Mahera | Kachwala | Chemistry - PhD | PhD Candidate/All But Dissertation (ABD) | Dissertation | Are portable paper devices the future of medical diagnostics? | Mehmet Yigit | Associate Professor | Chemistry |
Alexander | Mitchell | Atmospheric Science - PhD | Fifth or Higher | Thesis | Unlocking the Secrets of Central American Heavy Rainfall | Lance Bosart | Distinguished Professor | Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences |
Savannah (Sav) | Olivas | Information Science - PhD | First | Other Original Research Project | Using Data Dashboards to Communicate Extreme Temperature Risk: An Assessment of Visual Display and Design | Jeannette Sutton | Associate Professor | Emergency Management and Homeland Security |
Humphrey | Omeoga | Biology - PhD | Third | Other Original Research Project | Mnm-writers Regulate Stress Responses in E. coli | Thomas Begley | Professor | Biological Sciences |
Katie | Parra | Psychology: Behavioral Neuroscience - PhD | Fifth or Higher | Dissertation | Adaptive moms: The relationship between stress and oxytocin during the postpartum period | Damian Zuloaga | Associate Professor | Psychology |
Kahini | Sarkar | Biology - PhD | Fifth or Higher | Thesis | How to exit germ cell program to launch next generation | Prashanth Rangan | Assistant Professor | Biological Sciences |
Sandras | Spoorthy | Chemistry - MS | First | Thesis | Diffrentiated/Undiffrentiated neuronal cells | Alexander Shekthman | Professor | Chemistry |
Shao-Yun | Tsai | Criminal Justice - MA | Second | Other Original Research Project | Topic Scheme Manifesto Project | Michael Young | Assistant Professor | Emergency Management and Homeland Security |
Jane Jia-Yin | Wang | Sociology - PhD/ Women's Studies - MA | Third | Dissertation | Dual liminality: Being Chinese in America | Ronald Jacobs | Professor | Sociology |
Alexis | Weber | Chemistry - PhD | PhD Candidate/All But Dissertation (ABD) | Dissertation | Bloodstains In Crime Scene Conditions | Igor Lednev | Distinguished Professor | Chemistry |
Xue | Wu | Economics - PhD | Fifth or Higher | Dissertation | Emergency department closure and mortality | Chun-Yu Ho | Associate Professor | Economics |
Ju-Ying | Yang | Public Administration and Policy - PhD | PhD Candidate/All But Dissertation (ABD) | Dissertation | It is a Starting Point, Not a Finale | Jennifer Dodge | Associate Professor | Public Administration & Policy |
First Place: Rachel Fay, Biomedical Sciences - PhD
Title: Increasing the resolution of vector-borne diseases and climate change
Advisor: Alexander Ciota
Second Place: Bhavik Vyas, Chemistry - PhD
Title: A universal test for the forensic identification of all main body fluids including urine
Advisor: Igor Lednev
Third Place: Victoria Barbeisch, Communication - PhD
Title: Let’s Talk About Consent: A Content Analysis of How Sexual Consent is Discussed on Twitter
Advisor: Archana Krishnan
People's Choice: Maria Haji-Georgi, Educational Psychology - PhD
Title: You [don't] need to stop caring
Advisor: Kevin P. Quinn
First Place: Jessica Somers, Anthropology - PhD
Title: You Don't Get It Till You Get It
Advisor: Associate Professor Elise Andaya
2nd Place: Nidhi Nandu, Chemistry - PhD
Title: Looking at the Picture Differently
Advisor: Associate Professor Mehmet Yigit
Third Place (Tie): Meghan Appley, Chemistry - PhD
Title: Birds of a Feather – Forensic Identification of Endangered Parrots
Advisor: Professor Rabi Musah
Third Place (Tie): Ya Ying Zheng, Chemistry - PhD
Title: Looking at the Picture Differently
Advisor: Associate Professor Jia Sheng
People's Choice: Lauriana Gaudet, Atmospheric Science - PhD
Title: How Much Do Cloud Processes Affect Precipitation Forecast Uncertainty?
Advisor: Research Associate Kara Sulia
First Place: Erica Graham, Nanoscale Science and Engineering - PhD
Title: How Close is Too Close?
Advisor: Nathaniel Cady
2nd Place: Mohammad Amin Nourmohammadi, Biomedical Sciences - PhD
Title: Mapping Receptive Language Cortex Under Anesthesia
Advisor: Peter Brunner
3rd Place: Clare Miller, Biology - PhD
Title: Stopping a Virus in Its Tracks
Advisor: Gabriele Fuchs
People's Choice: Victorio Reyes, English - PhD
Title: Mic Check: Finding Hip Hop's Place in the Literary Milieu
Advisor: Glyne Griffith
First Place & People’s Choice: Mindy Hair, Chemistry - PhD
Title: When in Doubt, Sweat It Out!
Advisor: Jan Halamek
Second Place: Ewelina Mistek, Chemistry – PhD
Title: Nondestructive In-Field Identification and Analysis of Bloodstains for Forensic Purposes
Advisor: Igor Lednev
Third Place: Melissa Noel, Criminal Justice – PhD
Title: Predicting the Future? The Effect of Caregivers’ Expectations on Adolescents’ Who Have Experienced Parental Incarceration
Advisor: Cynthia Najdowski