Brenda Brouwer, Vice-Provost and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, has this advice to offer the finalists in the 2016 Queen’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition: don’t hide your enthusiasm for your research.

“You certainly need to practice your presentation, but you have to let your passion and your enthusiasm show,” says Dr. Brouwer. “Don’t be afraid to do that. Let it out.”

This year’s finalists will have the opportunity to do so on Wednesday, March 30 when the final round of the 5^th annual Queen’s 3MT is held. The event starts at 4:45 pm in the Biosciences Complex, room 1101.

3MT is a university-wide competition for Queen’s masters and doctoral students in which participants have just three minutes and one static slide to convey their research to the judges and audience.

The competition aims to help researchers develop skills that carry into post-graduate employment and public service. Participants are judged on how clearly and concisely they are able to explain their research, how engaging their presentation is for the audience, and on their general narrative and communications skills.

This year, the competition will be judged by Principal Daniel Woolf and Provost Alan Harrison, as well as  Carey Bidtnes of the Kingston Economic Development Corporation and Toby Abramsky, Vice-President of Keystone Properties. Kingston Town Crier, Chris Whyman, will serve as emcee for the event.

“Typically, we think of presentations to academic audiences,” says Dr. Brouwer. “Presenting to a broader based audience is really what affords the opportunity for communication skill development for our students. Prospective employers are looking for people who have the ability to take complex concepts and communicate them in a way that’s meaningful, understandable and that conveys the impact.”

Dr. Brouwer is quick to caution participants against simply trying to “dumb down” their research, saying that the takeaway from 3MT should be how to present complex material in an understandable and relatable manner. She points to Professor Emeritus Art McDonald, who was able to explain his Nobel Prize-winning research on neutrinos by using Timbits – though, such a demonstration would violate 3MT rules.

The winner of the Queen’s 3MT competition will receive $1,000 and the opportunity to represent Queen’s at the Ontario University 3MT competition on Thursday, April 14 at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. For more information on the Queen’s 3MT competition, visit the website.