Graduate students in the College of Engineering competed to see who could most effectively summarize their complex research pursuits in a three-minute soundbite that a non-technical audience could understand.  

This annual competition, called 3MT, or Three Minute Thesis, highlights the important research occurring across the college and the mentors who help guide the students. It also encourages students to advance their ability to communicate their important work, which can be valuable in professional settings. 

Examples of research projects highlighted included developing tools to help communities impacted by flooding, devices to deliver hydrogel spray medication to burn wounds, and studying how the octopus can unlock clues to protecting underwater equipment from destructive biofilms.  

The 2022 winners included: 

1st Place: Parth Kotak 

2nd Place (tie): Riannon Smith and Levi Kirby 

People’s Choice: Konna Zoga 

Congratulations to the winners and all the participants. A full list of participants can be found below.  

 

Yazeed Alabbad 

Civil and Environmental Engineering  

PhD student  

Mentor: Ibrahim Demir 

 

Dan Keefe 

Electrical and Computer Engineering 

3rd year PhD student 

Mentor: Fatima Toor 

 

Levi Kirby 

Industrial and Systems Engineering 

4th year PhD student 

Mentor: Xuan Song 

 

Parth Kotak 

Mechanical Engineering 

5th year PhD student 

Mentor: Caterina Lamuta 

 

David Ramotowski 

Civil and Environmental Engineering 

2nd year PhD student 

Mentor: Tim Mattes 

 

Riannon Smith 

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering 

5th year PhD student 

Mentor: Jennifer Fiegel 

 

Carley Stewart 

Biomedical Engineering 

5th year PhD student 

Mentor: Mahmoud Abou Alaiwa 

 

Lucinda Williamson 

Biomedical Engineering (lab is within the Department of Orthopedics) 

3rd year PhD student 

Mentor: Don Anderson 

 

Konna Zoga 

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering 

PhD student 

Mentor: Eric Nuxoll