About | Theme | Eligibility Criteria | Prizes | Timeline | Proposal Submission Form | Proposal Guidelines & Selection Criteria | Preliminary Round | Past Winners | FAQs | Contact
UW Three Minute Thesis Competition (In person)
Thursday, May 22, 2025, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Doors open at 3:30 p.m.)
Event starts promptly at 4 p.m.
Alder Auditorium, Seattle campus
Registration is required.
Want to see University of Washington graduate students vie for cash prizes, by presenting their capstone or research projects in 3 minutes and using only 1 slide?! Join us for the 2025 UW Three Minute Thesis Competition! The theme this year is Impact. An esteemed panel of judges will select First Place and Runner Up winners and the in-person audience will vote for People’s Choice.
A recording of the event will be posted online at a later date.
Prizes sponsored by The Graduate School:
- First Place: $1,000
- Runner Up: $500
- People’s Choice: $500
This free event is open to the UW community. Following the presentations, there will be a reception with free light foods and refreshments.
Graduate Student Presenters & Talk Titles
Stacey Alfonso – Ph.D. Student, Learning Sciences & Human Development
With Nature: An Ethnographic Study of Child-Nature Connectedness
College of Education, Seattle campus
Harsha Amaravadi – Ph.D. Student, Health Services
Too Sick to be True? Evaluating Medicare’s Patient Driven Payment Model
School of Public Health, Seattle campus
Daniil Filienko – Master’s Student, Computer Science and Systems
Fighting Tuberculosis: AI Conversations that Change Lives
School of Engineering & Technology, Tacoma campus
Gizem Gökçe-Alpkılıç – Ph.D. Student, Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute
Disarming a Killer: A New Way to Fight Superbugs
The Graduate School, Seattle campus
Nicole Gregorio – Ph.D. Student, Bioengineering
How Can Jell-O Help Us Heal?
College of Engineering & School of Medicine, Seattle campus
Kevin Jiang – Ph.D. Student, Bioengineering
Preventing The Next Pandemic: Developing Next Generation At-Home Diagnostics
College of Engineering & School of Medicine, Seattle campus
Eric Osnes – Master’s Student, Jurisprudence
Charting New Frontiers: Adapting Maritime Salvage and Rescue Laws for the Space Age
School of Law, Seattle campus
Lakshmipriya Rajakumar – Master’s Student, Architecture
Brighter Spaces, Better Learning
College of Built Environments, Seattle campus
Marti Tooley – Ph.D. Student, Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute
Computational Design of a Novel Platform to Colocalize Cell for Therapeutic Effects from Cancer Killing to Vaccine Boosting
The Graduate School, Seattle campus
Grace Umutesi – Ph.D. Student, Global Health Metrics & Implementation Science
Single-Dose HPV Vaccination: A Dose of Hope in the Fight Against Cervical Cancer in East Africa
School of Public Health & School of Medicine, Seattle campus
The University of Washington is committed to providing access and accommodation in its services, programs, and activities. To make a request connected to a disability or health condition, contact Graduate Student Affairs in The Graduate School, sablanj@uw.edu or (206) 543-1703, by May 10, 2025.
About
UW 3MT® is a professional development competition that celebrates the exciting capstone and research experiences of master’s and doctoral students at the University of Washington from all three campuses. The competition supports graduate students’ capacity to effectively explain their research or capstone project in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a public audience. This event is a partnership between The Graduate School’s office of Graduate Student Affairs and the UW Libraries Research Commons.
Cash prizes will be awarded to First Place, Runner Up, and People’s Choice winners during the in-person competition!
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition originally developed by the University of Queensland, Australia.
Past 3MT competitions: 2022 | 2023
Theme
The theme for this year’s competition is Impact. Impact can be defined as the positive outcome of a critical intervention, social policy, service provision model, legal framework, or technological innovation. How does your graduate research demonstrate impact for the public good? We’re excited to celebrate the influence our graduate students have on the world.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to submit a proposal for UW 3MT, you must meet the following criteria:
- You are a University of Washington master’s or doctoral student from any UW campus.
- You have a draft of your final project (e.g. capstone, thesis, or dissertation), including findings and conclusions.
- Only one member of a capstone project team may submit a proposal. If the proposal is selected, the same student who submitted the proposal must be the presenter.
- Your degree will be granted during AY 2024-2025.
3MT competitions are intended for graduate students who are ready to present their capstone, thesis, or dissertation work, rather than for works-in-progress. If you are at an earlier stage with your research, we encourage you to submit a proposal to Scholars’ Studio to present your work.
Prizes
Prizes for the May 22nd event are sponsored by The Graduate School:
- First Place: $1,000
- Runner Up: $500
- People’s Choice: $500
Timeline
| Competition Process | Date, Time & Location |
| Proposals are due for the online preliminary round | Deadline extended: March 26, 2025 by Noon (PDT) |
| Online preliminary round: Successful presenters will be selected as finalists for competition day. |
April 24, 2025, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (PDT) Please note that we are unable to schedule additional preliminary round times due to staff capacity. |
| Competition day (In-person) | May 22, 2025 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Doors open at 3:30 p.m.) Alder Auditorium UW Seattle campus |
Proposal Guidelines for Online Preliminary Round
The proposal must address the following components:
Capstone or Research Project Summary
In 300 words or less, please describe your capstone or research project for a general reader (without a lot of discipline-specific jargon or technical language).
Your summary:
– Must be concise and coherent
– Does not include a lot of disciplinary jargon
– Is understandable to a general, public audience
Theme: Impact
Impact is the theme for this year’s UW Three Minute Thesis. Briefly (300 words) describe how your capstone or research project demonstrates impact.
Proposal Selection Criteria
Successful proposals for preliminary rounds are based on the following two components:
1. Capstone or Research Project Summary
– Is the capstone or research project summary concise and 300 words or less?
– Does the summary include a lot of disciplinary jargon?
– Is the summary understandable to a general, public audience?
2. Theme: Impact
Does the proposal include how the capstone or research project demonstrate impact in 300 words or less?
Submit Your Proposal
Proposal form is closed.
Online Preliminary Round
If your proposal is selected, you will have an opportunity to present your capstone or research project in an online preliminary round on April 24, 2025, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (PDT). Successful presenters will be selected to present at the in-person competition, scheduled for May 22, 2025, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., Seattle campus.
Guidance on Preparing Your 3MT Presentation
Review the following tips and resources:
- Preparing for Your 3MT Presentation, University of Queensland
- Tips for Effective Design and Use of the 3MT Slide, Indiana University
- Time to Perfect Your Elevator Pitch, University of Pennsylvania
- How to Write a PhD Elevator Pitch, Academic Positions
- Communication: Two Minutes to Impress, Nature Jobs
Successful presenters will be selected to compete as finalists on competition day, based on the following guidelines:
| Content | The presentation sufficiently described the project topic, significance, and background – as well as key findings, implications, or recommendations. |
| Clarity | The presenter rarely used disciplinary jargon. If terminology was used, they were clearly defined for the lay audience. |
| Oral communication | The presenter had an engaging presence. |
| Visual communication | The presentation slide was clear, legible and concise. One single static PowerPoint slide is allowed. No slide transitions or animations are allowed. No props or additional electronic media (e.g. sound, music, animation, and video files) are permitted. |
| Theme | The presentation clearly and sufficiently described how the project demonstrates the theme of Impact. |
3MT Competition Day
UW 3MT Competition (In-person)
Thursday, May 22, 2025, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Doors open at 3:30 p.m.)
Event starts promptly at 4 p.m.
Alder Auditorium, Seattle campus
Registration is required.
Want to see University of Washington graduate students vie for cash prizes, by presenting their capstone or research projects in 3 minutes and using only 1 slide?! Join us for the 2025 UW Three Minute Thesis Competition! The theme this year is Impact. An esteemed panel of judges will select First Place and Runner Up winners and the audience will vote for People’s Choice. Cash prizes will be awarded!
Past Winners
2024
- First Place – Sarah Pollack, master’s student in Quantitative Ecology & Resource Management
- Runner Up – Niveditha Kalavakonda, doctoral student in Electrical & Computer Engineering
- People’s Choice – Sherry Gu, master’s student in Applied Bioengineering
2023
- First Place – Mayuree Binjolkar, doctoral student in Civil & Environmental Engineering
- Runner Up – Ekta Samani, doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
- People’s Choice – Megan Maerz, doctoral student in Molecular Medicine & Mechanisms of Disease
2022
- First Place – Enrique Saldarriaga, doctoral student in Health Economics and Outcomes Research
- Runner Up – Julia Dreifus, doctoral student in Microbiology
- People’s Choice – Douglas Wagoner, master’s student in Public Administration
2021
- First Place – Beth Halsne, doctoral student in Rehabilitation Science & master’s student in Mechanical Engineering
- Runner Up – Jackie Otting, master’s student in Education (Learning Science & Human Development)
- People’s Choice – Arianne Caudal, doctoral student in Biochemistry
2020
- Event canceled due to COVID-19
2019
- First Place – Barbara Rodriguez Droguett, doctoral student in Built Environment
- Runner Up – Junyue Cao, doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
- People’s Choice – Junyue Cao, doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
2018
- First Place – Amey Khanolkar, doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
- Runner Up – Evan Schuster, master’s student in Mechanical Engineering
- People’s Choice – Amey Khanolkar, doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
2017
- First Place – Molly Grear, doctoral student in Civil & Environmental Engineering
- Runner Up – Gabby Barsh, doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
- People’s Choice – Zheng Li, doctoral student in Bioengineering
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens on 3MT Competition Day?
UW Three Minute Thesis Competition (In-person)
Thursday, May 22, 2025, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Doors open at 3:30 p.m.)
Event starts promptly at 4 p.m.
Alder Auditorium, UW Seattle campus
Registration is required.
In front of a general audience and a panel of esteemed judges, graduate student presenters will each compete by doing three-minute presentations about their capstone or research projects. Judges will select First Place and Runner Up winners and the in-person audience will vote for People’s Choice winner.
Prizes sponsored by The Graduate School:
- First Place: $1,000
- Runner Up: $500
- People’s Choice: $500
This free event is open to the UW community. Following the presentations, there will be a reception with free light foods and refreshments.
A recording of the event will be posted online at a later date.
Who is eligible to submit a proposal for UW 3MT?
To be eligible to submit a proposal, you must meet the following criteria:
- You are a University of Washington master’s or doctoral student from any UW campus.
- You have a draft of your final project (e.g. capstone, thesis, or dissertation), including findings and conclusions.
- Only one member of a capstone project team may submit a proposal. If the proposal is selected, the same student who submitted the proposal must be the presenter.
- Your degree will be granted during AY 2024-2025.
3MT competitions are intended for graduate students who are ready to present their capstone, thesis, or dissertation work, rather than for works-in-progress. If you are at an earlier stage with your research, we encourage you to submit proposals to Scholars’ Studio to present your work.
What is allowed on my 3MT slide?
One single static PowerPoint slide is permitted.
In preparing the slide, remember that ‘less is more.’ It does not have to include text. Visual cues are very effective in assisting the presenter’s explanation of their research. (No slide transitions, video, or animations are permitted).
Can I use sound or video files?
No additional electronic media (e.g. sound, music, animation, and video files) is permitted during the competition.
Can I use notes during the final competition?
Using notes during your presentation is allowed. Be mindful to stay engaged with the audience and not appear as if you are constantly looking at your notes.
Practicing your presentation before the competition will help you look confident and sound prepared.
Can I have props (a 3D printed model, a soccer ball, a microscope, etc.)?
No.
Is there a dress code?
Business formal or casual is suggested. Costumes are not allowed.
Can I win in more than one category during the competition?
Yes, it is possible to win a place (First or Runner Up) and also win the People’s Choice Award.
Who will be in the audience during the competition?
The audience is often a mix of graduate students, faculty, staff, and University leadership. There will also be supporters of graduate education in attendance, as well as presenters’ family and community members.
Contact
uw3mt@uw.edu