Update from Dr Philip Thomas, Research Education
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is a competition to help cultivate PhD candidates’ academic, presentation, and research skills. It requires researchers to clearly explain their research in three minutes, using language targeted to a non-specialist audience.
On Wednesday 9th September, UNE held our final of the Three Minute Thesis Competition. The event included seven UNE doctoral candidates from the Faculty of Science Agriculture Business and Law (SABL). Our Judges this year included Mr Patrick Bell ABC New England North West in Tamworth, Ms Vanessa Arundale, Australian Community Media – Armidale Express; Assoc Professor Brian Wilson, Associate Dean Research SABL.
Our finalists included: Paul Hawkins, UNE Business School; Vanessa Sewell, School of Science and Technology; Helen Kennedy, School of Environmental and Rural Science; Nicola Forester, School of Environmental and Rural Science; Rukshan Rafeek, School of Science and Technology; Walimuni Abeysekara, UNE Business School; Meaad Tori, School of Science and Technology
As the competition was digital, the candidates introduced themselves and their topic prior to their 3MT pre-recorded video being played to the judges and the thirty strong online audience, made up of the finalist supervisors and supporting colleagues.
It was noted by the judges that the quality of the presentations was extremely high this year and that the calibre of the entries increases every year. Within what was a very close competition, first place went to Helen Kennedy, School of Environmental and Rural Science, for her presentation entitled Discovering Melichrus. Runners up were Paul Hawkins, UNE Business School, his presentation as titled Bottle Your Genius and Rukshan Rafeek School of Science and Technology, with his presentation titled A Rapid Diagnostic for Rheumatic Heart Disease.
A big congratulations to Helen who will now have the opportunity to have her 3MT video included in the 2021 Virtual Asia-Pacific 3MT Competition to be held on Wednesday 20 October 2021.
Congratulations to all the finalist and to all those that participated in or helped organise the competition across our university, without this continued commitment, this event would not be possible.
I would like to acknowledge and thank our judges: Mr Patrick Bell, Ms Vanessa Arundale and Assoc Professor Brian Wilson for your support of this event. The combination of media professional and academic scrutiny of the presentations, ensures we are meeting the brief of effective science communication for a non-specialist audience.