On Wednesday 9th September, the University of New England held their final of the Three Minute Thesis Competition. The event was opened by our Research Services Director, Dr Andrew Johnson and included nine UNE doctoral candidates from the Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education and the Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law. The finalists included Cody Davis, School of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences; Pritam Dey, School of Law; Emma Leonard, School of Education; Ruskshan Rafeek, School of Science and Technology; Toni Petronaitis, School of Environmental and Rural Science; Ian Wiltshire, UNE Business School, Lou Streeting, School of Environmental and Rural Science; Munique Reid, School of Science and Technology; and Walimuni Abeysekara, UNE Business School.
The competition was a digital event this year, with the candidates introducing themselves and their topic prior to their 3MT prerecorded video being played to the judges and the fifty strong online audience. As usual, this year it was a very close battle, with the first place going to Toni Petronaitis, School of Environmental and Rural Science SABL, for her presentation entitled Lying in Wait: the Secret Life of Cereal Killers.
A big congratulations to Toni who will now have the opportunity to have her 3MT video included in the 3MT Asia Pacific competition, on the 1st October.
Congratulations also goes to all the finalist and to all those that participated in or helped organise the competition across our University, without your involvement, innovative thinking and commitment, this year’s digital event would not have be possible.
I would like to acknowledge and thank our judges: Ms Helena Marina Game, ABC New England North West; Ms Vanessa Arundale, Australian Community Media – Armidale Express; Professor Lewis Kahn, UNE; and Mr Bryn Griffith, UNE.
Philip Thomas
3MT UNE Final Convener