Could you present your dissertation research in just three minutes?
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an international competition that challenges participants to communicate complex research in clear, non-specialist terms–using only one static slide.
At Mizzou, 3MT® is more than a competition. It’s a professional development experience that includes a storytelling workshop, practice sessions with feedback, and a public speaking competition with prizes in professional development funds.
Who can Participate?
- Must be currently enrolled in a research-based doctoral program at Mizzou
- Must have met, or will meet, doctoral candidacy requirements and will have a D-3 on file by competition night.
- Must be in good academic standing during the competition cycle
- Must attend all mandatory events (see Key Dates below)
Why Participate?
Build high-impact skills you’ll use in job talks, interviews, and networking—plus receive feedback from coaches and a panel of community judges.
- Storytelling & Clarity: Sharpen your message for non-specialist audiences. Craft a hook, frame a problem, and communicate impact succinctly.
- Professional Speaking: Practice delivery, pacing, and presence in a supportive environment.
- Showcase Your Research: Share your work beyond your discipline and expand your professional network.
- Recognition & Prizes: Compete for awards and the opportunity to represent Mizzou regionally—and potentially nationally.
Rules
The 3MT® has a few simple requirements:
- Presentations must be 3 minutes maximum
- One static slide only (no transitions, animations, video, or audio)
- Spoken word only (no poems, raps, or props)
See the official 3MT® website for full competition rules.
Judging & Prizes
How Judging Works
Presentations are evaluated by a panel of campus and community judges using the official 3MT® rubric. Judges focus on two key areas:
- Comprehension & Content: Was the research communicated clearly, logically, and without jargon?
- Engagement & Communication: Did the presenter capture and maintain the audience’s attention?
See the official 3MT® website for full judging criteria.
Prizes
- First Place: $700 in professional development funds and a plaque (advances to regional competition; travel covered by MU).
- Runner-up: $300 in professional development funds and a plaque.
- New in 2025: the People’s Choice award has been retired so we can increase professional development funding for winners.
How Do I Sign Up?
- Complete the Mizzou 3MT® Registration Form (2025) with advisor signature and submit to hoffmanh@missouri.edu by Friday, Oct. 3, 5 p.m.
- After submitting your form, you’ll receive instructions to register for the mandatory orientation session on MU Engage.
Key Dates — Mizzou 3MT® 2025
- Info Session (optional): Friday, Sept. 12, 12 p.m.
- Registration Deadline (mandatory): Friday, Oct. 3, 5 p.m.
- Orientation (mandatory): Wednesday, Oct. 8, 3 p.m.
- Skills-Building Workshops (mandatory): Oct. 15, Oct. 22., Oct. 29 at 3 p.m.
- Practice Sessions (attend at least one): Nov. 5, Nov. 12, Nov. 14 at 3 p.m.
- Competition: Wednesday, Nov. 19, 6 p.m.
Questions?
Email Dr. Heather Hoffman, Assistant Dean for Professional Development & Leadership, at hoffmanh@missouri.edu.
Past Competitions
2024
Winners
- 🥇 1st Place: Arshdeep Singh, Food & Hospitality Systems
- 🥈 2nd Place: Emily Knebel, Area Pathobiology
- 👏 People’s Choice: Xiuhan Chen, Statistics, Measurement, and Evaluation in Education
Other Contestants
- Ahmad Alhonainy
- Arshdeep Singh
- Brian Thomas
- Eric Partridge
- Emily Knebel
- Heba Abdelnaby
- Ruth Opoku
- Meet Parikh
- Xiuhan Chen
Winners
- 🥇 1st Place: Jacob Thomas, Health & Rehabilitation Science
- 🥈 2nd Place: Varsha Bhaskaran, Natural Resources
- 👏 People’s Choice: Peggy Birikorang, Biochemistry
Other Contestants
- Jenny Gutierrez, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Michael Owusu Ansah, Agriculture & Applied Economics
- Nanan Nuraini, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience
- Kate Nyarko, Chemistry
Judges
- Dr. Sarah Traub, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for MU Extension & Engagement
- Dr. Praveen Edara, Interim Dean for MU College of Engineering
- Katelynn McIlwain, Managing Editor for KBIA-FM
Emcees
- Kacey Lynch, Theatre
- Irene, Gasarah, Theatre
Winners
- Majid Abdul’s speech, titled Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Role of Sugars, earned him the first place title in Mizzou’s 2019 3 Minute Thesis Competition. Majid is a doctoral candidate in the Nutrition Sciences program.
- Clarissa Steele, doctoral candidate in Management, came in second place with her speech titled Taking Care of Business.
- Amir Mofrad, doctoral candidate in Chemical Engineering won the People’s Choice Award with his speech titled Exploring Computational Materials Science.
Other Contestants
- Bitty Balducci, Marketing
- Lauren Borkowski, Biomedical Sciences
- Parijat Ghosh, Rural Sociology
- Nathan Katz, Sociology
- Jason McKinney, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
- Amir Mofrad, Chemical Engineering
- Meredith Shaw, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
- Lisa Shepard, Physics
- Haejung Shin, Communication
- Clarissa Steele, Management
- Levi Storks, Biological Sciences
- Majid Mufaqam Syed Abdul, Nutrition Sciences
- Al Willsey, Philosophy
Judges for the evening were: Dr. Gavin King, Associate Professor, Physics and Biochemistry; Dr. Susan Renoe, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research, Extension, & Engagement; Eric Stann, Research News Strategist, MU News Bureau
Emcees for the evening were Kasey Lynch & Blake Willoughby, Theatre.
Winners
Electrical Nerve Stimulation: Improving Voice after Injury was the title Megan Haney chose to introduce her speech, which earned her the title of 2018 Mizzou 3 Minute Thesis winner. Megan was a doctoral candidate in Pathobiology Area Program. Second place winner was Clarissa Steele, Business Administration. Audience members voted Li Lee from Biomedical Imaging the People’s Choice winner.
Other Contestants
- Ghazwan Alwan, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- Michael, Appenteng, Chemistry
- Glenn Baker, Psychological Sciences
- Josh Bramlett, Communication
- Mary Decker, Special Education
- Megan Haney, Area Pathobiology
- Briana Kille, Psychological Sciences
- Li Lee, Biomedical Imagine
- Tareq Lehmidi, Pathobiology Area
- Rayne Lim, Biomedical Sciences
- Deanna Maynard, Special Education
- Aditi Mishra, Biological Sciences
- Marco Navarro, Biological Sciences
- Tunde Ojewola, Human Dimensions of Natural Resources
- Joel Reed, Communication
- Clarissa Steele, Business Administration
- Anna Valiavska, Organizational Communication
- Sangkwon Woo, Anthropology
- Nasibeh, Zanjirani Farahani, Industrial Engineering & Manufacturing Systems
Judges for the evening were Dr. Jeni Hart, Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Vice Provost for Advanced Studies; Dr. Susan Renoe, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research, Extension, and Engagement; and Dr. Sheila Grant, Associate Vice Chancellor of Research and Strategic Initiatives.
Emcees for the evening were Kate Busselle and Blake Willoughby, Theatre
Winners
Can You Avoid a Colonoscopy? Using Bacteria to Detect and Treat Colon Cancer
That was the message delivered by the 2017 Mizzou 3 Minute Thesis winner Susheel Bhanu Busi, a doctoral candidate in Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapeutics. Audience members also voted Susheel as the People’s Choice winner! Second place was awarded to Freddie Jennings, a doctoral candidate in Communication.
Other Contestants
- Nettie Brock, Communication. A Thousand TV Shows. Mentor: Dr. Ben Warner.
- Ryan Dibala, Natural Resources. Trees Providing Forage for Livestock. Mentor: Dr. Shibu Jose.
- Anna Perinchery, Biological Sciences. You are what you eat! Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth King.
- Zach Rubin, Sociology. Lifestyle and Activism: The Key Ingredients. Mentor: Dr. Victoria Johnson.
- Lisa Groshong, Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. Climate change doesn’t care. Mentor: Dr. Sonja Wilhelm Stanis.
- Liga Wuri, Animal Science. Vitrification for Fertility Preservation. Mentor: Dr. Yuksel Agca.
- Alex Howe, Philosophy. Citizenship Goes to the Dogs. Mentor: Dr. Peter Vallentyne.
Judges for the evening were Provost Garnett Stokes; Dr. Jeni Hart, Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Vice Provost for Advanced Studies; and Dr. Keven McDonald, UM System Chief Diversity Officer & MU Vice Chancellor for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity.
MC for the evening was Rachel Bauer, doctoral candidate in Theatre.
Winners
- First place winner was Jacqueline Gamboa
- Second place Dr. Michael K. Fink
- People’s Choice Megan Sheridan
Thirty doctoral candidates participated in the first annual Mizzou Three Minutes Thesis competition.
Winners
- First place winner was Arianna Soldati
- Second place Jessica M. Anderson
- People’s Choice Lincoln Sheets, MD
About 3MT® Worldwide
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia. The exercise challenges doctoral* candidates to present a compelling oration on their thesis (dissertation) topic and its significance in just three minutes.
3MT® develops academic, presentation, and research communication skills and supports the development of research students’ capacity to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.
View 3MT® presentations
To view winning presentations from around the world, go to the 3MT® Showcase on the official UQ site.