Winners announced for OU Three Minute Thesis competition

NORMAN, OKLA. –  The University of Oklahoma Graduate College named Ami Frost, graduate student in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, winner of the Three Minute Thesis competition for her presentation “Different by Degrees: Relationship Quality Differences by Level of Education.” 

Ten students from eight departments were finalists for the competition, with each giving a three-minute presentation to explain their research topic to a panel of judges.

“Participating in the 3MT competition was nerve-racking but fun,” Frost said. “Despite the fear of speaking to a full auditorium and being critiqued by respected professors, the challenge of talking about my research in an engaging way was a really valuable exercise. And meeting the other competitors was really the best part; getting to know some of the smart, friendly, innovative scholars here at OU was awesome. Winning is such an honor knowing that I am in the company of so many great scholars.”

The winner received $2,000, second place received $1,500 and the winner of the “People’s Choice Award,” an award voted on by audience members, received $1,000.

As winner of OU's competition, Ami Frost is invited to compete in the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) 3MT Competition, as part of the MAGS annual meeting in early April. 

Emily Troyer, graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences, won second place and the “People’s Choice Award” for her presentation “What Makes Fish So Morphologically Diverse?”

“It was great to represent the School of Biological Sciences and present the results of my PhD research at 3MT,” Troyer said. “I had a lot of fun meeting the other presenters and hearing about the wide breadth of research that is happening at OU.”

The 3MT competition originated at the University of Queensland in Australia in 2008 and has since expanded to over 900 universities globally. This competition offers graduate students a distinct chance to present their research to a broader audience and to develop essential skills in effectively communicating their work.

“The OU Graduate College Three Minute Thesis competition showcases graduate student work for the university community and the public," said Randall Hewes, dean of the OU Graduate College. "Every year I am amazed and inspired by the incredible work of our students, and this year was no exception. The topics presented highlighted the numerous opportunities available at OU. I am proud of all of our students and those who participated in 3MT.”