By Hollie Knapp-Fisher, Communications Intern

Mike Best, a PhD student in clinical psychology, will represent Queen’s at the Ontario 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

Ten Queen’s graduate students advanced to the final of the competition that required them to clearly explain their research to a panel of non-expert judges in three minutes and using only one slide. Mr. Best emerged victorious for his succinct yet entertaining presentation of his research on the biases toward schizophrenia.

“I wasn’t expecting such a large audience,” says Mr. Best, “but it’s these types of platforms that allow students like me to share their research. It is needed in the post-graduate community.”

Mr. Best said the competition taught him to tell a story with his data and forced him to engage and interact with his audience in order to get the message across. He is looking forward to not only representing Queen’s at the provincial 3MT but also learning about the research happening at other universities.

With topics ranging from the mating habits of female frogs to the state of the performing arts in Ontario public schools, the competition was stiff. All of the competitors completed their presentation in the allotted time and represented their research effectively, which made the final decision very difficult for the judges.

“What a great opportunity to be able to see the diversity of research taking place at Queen’s,” says 3MT judge Peter Milliken (Arts’68), former member of Parliament and Speaker of the House. “All of the presenters succeeded today – they did an excellent job.”

The judges named Mary Chaktsiris, a PhD candidate in the Department of History, the runner-up for her presentation of her First World War research. Sima Zakani, a PhD candidate in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, earned the People’s Choice Award as voted by the audience members for her presentation on engineered hips.

The Ontario 3MT competition will take place at McMaster University on April 24.
 

If you missed listening to our finalists, their videos will be posted on the Queen’s 3MT website after the Ontario 3MT competition is completed.