Amy Whitney Director | University of North Dakota
Amy Whitney Director | University of North Dakota
Graduate students at the University of North Dakota recently participated in the annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, an event designed to challenge them to present their research in a concise three-minute format. The competition, held on January 29 at the Memorial Union, allowed students from various disciplines to showcase their work and improve their public speaking skills.
Jennifer Wolf, a doctoral student in Indigenous Health from Colorado, described her experience as both nerve-wracking and exciting. "Faculty came to support me — God bless them — but it made me really nervous," she said. Wolf's research focused on public health communication using the Ojibwe concept of "zaasijiwan," which means "it ripples." She emphasized clear pronunciation and simple language to make her presentation accessible.
Soojung Kim, chair and graduate program director in the Communication Department, led training sessions for participants. She highlighted the importance of simplifying complex ideas: “Most of these students are studying hard sciences, where there is a lot of jargon and technical detail,” she said.
Anabella Kajibanga, a Chemical Engineering student who placed third, used analogies to explain her research on lignin as a treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections. “Imagine making a big, creamy soup with beans,” Kajibanga explained. “Lignin is like uncooked beans in water — they don’t break down easily."
Rachel Josephs won first place with her presentation on storing wind energy using underground salt layers. She illustrated the problem by saying: “Over 60% of wind energy is wasted because we lack the infrastructure to store it.” Josephs credited her success to training sessions with last year’s winner Temitayo Ikuerowo.
Kim expressed satisfaction with the event's outcome: “I love this event,” she said. It helps bridge the gap between academic experts and the public.”
Josephs noted that participating in 3MT provided valuable skills applicable to real-world scenarios such as job interviews and grant proposals.
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