OU-Tulsa’s Three Minute Thesis Competition Highlights Quality Research

February 22, 2023

OU-Tulsa’s Three Minute Thesis Competition Highlights Quality Research

OU-Tulsa’s Three Minute Thesis Competition tradition continued this past fall as students presented graduate level projects and research topics in only three minutes using just one visual slide. The competition was stiff. Participation increased dramatically this year with 19 presenters total and an audience of more than 50 who learned a little about a lot of diverse topics.

An esteemed panel of judges, as well as audience members for a People’s Choice Award, evaluated each micro-presentation for concision, creativity, confidence, and the presenter’s ability to engage a general audience. Participants gained communication and presentation experience as well as practice for future promotion of their research to potential employers, donors, and other supporters.

OU-Tulsa student presenting research during 3 Minute Thesis Competition

The panel of judges awarded first place (and $500) to Amy Hendrix-Dicken from the Organizational and Community Leadership doctoral program and second place ($250) to Rachel Ngo from Internal Medicine. Katlyn McDonald, Occupational Therapy student, walked away with the People’s Choice Award. The illustrious judging panel included Emma Kientz, DNP, APRN-CNS, CNE, associate professor and assistant dean of academic affairs in the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing; Brenda Lloyd-Jones, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of human relations; and Dallas Pettigrew, MSW, clinical assistant professor in the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work.

Jennifer Kisamore, Ph.D. associate dean of the OU Graduate College and graduate liaison for the Organizational Dynamics program is coordinator and host of the Tulsa 3MT program. Sponsors of the event include OU-Tulsa Academic Affairs, OU Graduate College, and the Schusterman Library at OU-Tulsa.

The OU-Tulsa 3MT competition is separate, but held in advance of the all-campus Three Minute Thesis competition held this month, offering potential competitors an opportunity to practice. Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland, Australia, and is now held at hundreds of universities around the world.