etsu 3 minute thesis

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3 Minute Thesis showcases graduate work

Wednesday evening, The Graduate and Professional Student Association and the School of Graduate Studies hosted the finalists in the second annual 3 Minute Thesis Competition in Rogers Stout Hall.

The 3 Minute Thesis Competition originated in Queensland, Australia, and according to Dean of Graduate Studies Sharon McGee, the competition is designed to, “hone graduate students’ academic presentation and research communication skills.”

“Students have three minutes to do what many professors would have trouble pulling off,” McGee said. “Explaining their project effectively using one power point slide.”

McGee said that the nine graduate students represented several programs and colleges ranging from Special Education to Art to Biochemical Studies. The first place winner of the final round would go on to represent ETSU at the Southern Regional Competition in March 2020 at the Council of Southern Graduate School’s Annual Competition in Birmingham, Alabama.

Keri Blair was one of the presenters at the 3 Minute Competition, and her thesis, “A Horse Is Not A Horse, of Course: The Culture of Horses in Tudor England,” involved looking at trends through history and seeing how horses made an impact as the main mode of transportation in Tudor, England.

“What I’m doing is that I’m seeing something in the past that I’m seeing today,” Blair said. “When I look at the English Renaissance and I’m seeing them do the exact same thing with their mode of transportation, horses, I see this connection, and I see how it’s changed over time, and I’m fascinated by that aspect.”

Donna Paulsen presented her thesis on “Women’s Experiences with Infertility within Faith Communities.”

Paulsen said she had been working on her thesis for just over a year, and that she decided to do the 3 Minute Thesis competition to share her research with a broader audience.

“Women’s experiences with infertility and with miscarriage is something that is a very private thing, a very personal thing,” Paulsen said. “Regardless of whether they have a religious background or not, it’s something that people are not talking about a whole lot … I just have a great sympathy for people who are marginalized or stigmatized for something that they can’t help. I think it’s important to raise awareness that that’s one particular thing that women may be struggling through that no one is really talking about.”

At the end of the presentation, audience members were able to vote for a people’s choice award, while the judges voted on first and second place. The winner of the people’s choice award was Keri Blair. Runner up was Anna Musket with her thesis on Gioblastoma. First prize went to Donna Paulsen.

“I’m very excited,” Paulsen said. “I’m surprised. There were a lot of really great topics and great presentations … I didn’t think that I would be chosen as first. I was kind of hoping maybe for third. … I’m excited and honored. It will be great not only to represent ETSU but my department, Communications and Storytelling.”

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Home > STUDENT-WORKS > PROGRAM-ETD > GEOSCIENCES-ETD

Geosciences Theses

If you are a graduate student submitting your thesis or dissertation, please click here to access the submission form.

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

First Skulls of Arctomeles dimolodontus (Mustelidae: Melinae) from the Gray Fossil Site (Early Pliocene, TN) Reveal Extreme Intraspecific Variation , Charles Bruce

New Reports of Smilodon and Panthera from North American Cave Sites with Reviews of Taxonomy, Biogeography, and History , Matthew Bushell

Femoral Osteohistology in American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) Reveals High Variation in Growth and Facilitates Interpretation of an Early Pliocene Alligator , Davis Gunnin

Identifying Taphonomic Distribution Patterns at the Gray Fossil Site , Shawn Haugrud

Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Modern Viperid Vertebrae Facilitates Identification of Fossil Specimens , Lance D. Jessee

Geophysical, Archaeological, and Geospatial Investigations at Presidio Los Adaes, 18th Century Capital of Spanish Texas , Robert Linam

An Early Pliocene Fish Assemblage from the Southern Appalachians: Ichthyofauna of the Gray Fossil Site , Shay Maden

Assessing a Pandemic: Spatiotemporal Analysis of COVID-19 in Tennessee School-Age Children , Omobolaji Olawuyi

Extracting Topography from Historic Topographic Maps Using GIS-Based Deep Learning , Briar Pierce

Isotopic Ecology of Bison and Bootherium at Big Bone Lick, Kentucky , Frances Stephenson

Age and Paleontology of the Turin Pit locality, Monona County, Iowa , Samantha Wright

Early Pliocene Mice and Rats from the Gray Fossil Site of Eastern Tennessee: Implications for the Evolution of Cricetidae and Understanding of the Past Ecosystem , Ziqi Xu

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

The Paleoecology of High-Elevation Bison in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and Implications for Modern Bison Conservation , Darian Bouvier

Community Structure Analysis of Mammals Found at the Gray Fossil Site, TN , Sarah Clark

Community Structure Analysis of Turtles with Application to the Early Pliocene Gray Fossil Site , Julian Conley

Water Quality Assessment of Karst Spring Water as a Private Water Supply Source in Northeast Tennessee , Lukman Fashina

Species Data and Vector Modeling: Evaluating Datasets for Improved Models of Ixodes ricinus Tick Distribution in Europe Under a Changing Climate , Steven Jones

An Evaluation of Castor californicus and Implications for the Evolution and Distribution of the Genus Castor (Rodentia: Castoridae) in North America , Kelly Lubbers

Fossil Mammals from Hickory Tree Cave, Sullivan County, Tennessee , Alexis Rivera

Evaluating Spatial-Temporal Patterns in US Tornado Occurrence with Space Time Cube Analysis and Linear Kernel Density Estimation: 1950-2019 , Darrell L. Wiser

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Gravel Geology and Muskoxen Paleontology of a Late Pleistocene Fossil Site in Saltville, Virginia , Nickolas A. Brand

Spatial Analyses of Gray Fossil Site Vertebrate Remains: Implications for Depositional Setting and Site Formation Processes , David Carney

Analysis and Risk Estimation of High Priority Unstable Rock Slopes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina , Samantha Farmer

Isotopic Analysis and Mobility Mapping of Mammuthus columbi from the Mammoth Site in South Dakota , Matthew Harrington

Morphology and Paleoecology of Nimravides galiani (Felidae) and Barbourofelis loveorum (Barbourofelidae) from the Late Miocene of Florida , Christianne Ormsby

Using an Inventory of Unstable Slopes to Prioritize Probabilistic Rockfall Modeling and Acid Base Accounting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park , Thomas A. O'Shea

Distinguishing Mustela From Neogale (Mustelidae) Through Both a Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Skull and Tooth Morphology , Ronald W. Peery

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Encephalization in Commensal Raccoons: A Unique Test of the Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis , Peter M. Anderson

Climate Variability from 1980 to 2018 and its Effect on Wind Directions, Wind Speeds, and Vog Dispersal in Hawaii , Monica Ayala

A Tale of Two Species: Black-tailed and White-tailed Prairie Dog Biogeography from the Last Interglacial to 2070 , April Dawn Bledsoe

Archaeological, Geophysical, and Geospatial Analysis at David Crockett Birthplace State Park, in Upper East Tennessee , Reagan Cornett

Ontogenetic and Adult Shape Variation in the Endocast of Tapirus: Implications for T. polkensis from the Gray Fossil Site , Thomas M. Gaetano

Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of Quaternary Saltville, Virginia, using Ostracode Autecology , Austin Gause

Utilizing the Public on Public Lands: The Application of Community Science to Monitor and Model Erosion in National Forests , Jacob L. Hansen

An Unusual Mastodon Revisited: Providing a Regional Focus for Mammut americanum (Proboscidea, Mammutidae) in the Southeast , Matthew Inabinett

Changes in Land Use Land Cover (LULC), Surface Water Quality and Modelling Surface Discharge in Beaver Creek Watershed, Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia , Tosin James

Stacking the Odds for Better GPR: An Antenna Comparison , Montana Kruske

Storm Sampling to Assess Inclement Weather Impacts on Water Quality in a Karst Watershed: Sinking Creek, Watauga Watershed, East Tennessee , Porcha McCurdy

Past, Current, and Future Potential Distributions of Red Spruce and Fraser Fir Forests in the Southern Appalachians: Interpreting Possible Impacts of Climate Change , Danika Mosher

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Differentiating Black Bears (Ursus americanus) and Brown Bears (U. arctos) using Linear Tooth Measurements and Identification of Ursids from Oregon Caves National Monument , Emily Bogner

Debris-Slide Susceptibility Modelling Using GIS Technology in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park , Raja Das

Comparing Structure from Motion Photogrammetry and Computer Vision for Low-Cost 3D Cave Mapping: Tipton-Haynes Cave, Tennessee , Clinton Elmore

Manus Descriptions of an Undescribed Mastodon from the Latest Miocene-Earliest Pliocene Gray Fossil Site, with Comparisons to other North American Proboscidean Taxa , Brenna Hart-Farrar

Communications and Methodologies in Crime Geography: Contemporary Approaches to Disseminating Criminal Incidence and Research , Mitchell Ogden

A Systematic Assessment of Socio-Economic Impacts of Prolonged Episodic Volcano Crises , Justin Peers

Modeling Extreme Heat Events Using Global Reanalysis Data: An Assessment of Current Climate Data and the Need for Improved Weather Station Data in Tennessee , John Reasons

Ecometric Estimation of Present and Past Climate of North America Using Crown Heights of Rodents and Lagomorphs: With Application to the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum , Julia Schap

Automation of State Climate Office Processes & Products: Developing Efficient Approaches for Data Dissemination , Michael Shoop

Paleoecology and Land-Use of Quaternary Megafauna from Saltville, Virginia , Emily Simpson

Potable Water Leakage Prediction and Detection using Geospatial Analysis , Jacob Tittle

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Geostatistical Analysis of Potential Sinkhole Risk: Examining Spatial and Temporal Climate Relationships in Tennessee and Florida , Kimberly Blazzard

Improving Sinkhole Mapping Using LiDAR Data and Locating Sinkhole Hotspots in Johnson City, TN , Kingsley Fasesin

FM Radio Signal Propagation Evaluation and Creating Statistical Models for Signal Strength Prediction in Differing Topographic Environments , Timothy Land

Fossil Moles from the Gray Fossil Site, TN: Implications for Diversification and Evolution of North American Talpidae , Danielle Oberg

Warning Confidence and Perceptions of Lava Flow Hazard Diversion Strategies at Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, Hawai‘i , Ashleigh Reeves

Postcranial Morphology and the Locomotor Adaptations of Extant and Extinct Crocodylomorphs and Lepidosaurs , Laura Rooney

Native American Occupation of the Singer-Hieronymus Site Complex: Developing Site History by Integrating Remote Sensing and Archaeological Excavation , Claiborne Sea

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Vulnerability Assessment of Groundwater to NO3 Contamination Using GIS, DRASTIC Model and Geostatistical Analysis , Adela Beauty Adu Agyemang

Spatiotemporal Analyses of Recycled Water Production , Jana E. Archer

Sciurids (Rodentia: Sciuridae) of the Late Mio-Pliocene Gray Fossil Site and the Late Miocene Tyner Farm: Implications on Ecology and Expansion of the Sciurid Record , Cheyenne J. Crowe

Groundwater Flow Tracing in Carter Saltpeter Cave and Toll Branch, Carter County, TN , Aaron G. Doyka

Landscape-Scale Geophysics at Tel Shimron, Jezreel Valley, Israel , Rachel Grap

Cranial Morphological Distinctiveness Between Ursus arctos and U. americanus , Benjamin James Hillesheim

Black Bears (Ursus americanus) versus Brown Bears (U. arctos): Combining Morphometrics and Niche Modeling to Differentiate Species and Predict Distributions Through Time , Theron Michael Kantelis

Niche Modeling for the Giant Panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, and the Original Panda, Ailurus fulgens: Habitat Preferences and Evolutionary Consequences , Lauren M. Lyon

Late Quaternary Dragon Lizards (Agamidae: Squamata) from Western Australia , Julie Rej

A Paleontological Analysis of Late Pleistocene Proboscidea from Saltville, Virginia: Taphonomy, Systematic Paleontology, and Paleobiology , Rachel Silverstein

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Tornado Density and Return Periods in the Southeastern United States: Communicating Risk and Vulnerability at the Regional and State Levels , Michelle Bradburn

Peccaries (Artiodactyla: Tayassuidae) from the Late Miocene to Early Pliocene Gray Fossil Site: Regional Implications with a Review of Tayassuinae , Evan M. Doughty

Description of Cranial Elements and Ontogenetic Change within Tropidolaemus wagleri (Serpentes: Crotalinae). , Nicolette L. Hill

New Records of Colubrids from the late Hemphillian Gray Fossil Site of Northeastern Tennessee , Derek J. Jurestovsky

AAAneurysm Outreach Screening Data and Emergency Healthcare Accessibility in Louisiana: Identifying High-Risk Populations for Targeted Interventions , Amy M. Poole

Ecological Niche Modeling of the North American Giant Salamander: Predicting Current and Future Potential Distributions and Examining Environmental Influences , Selena S. Roark

Description, Taphonomy, and Paleoecology of the Late Pleistocene Peccaries (Artiodactyla: Tayassuidae) from Bat Cave, Pulaski County, Missouri , Aaron L. Woodruff

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Additional Research and Taxonomic Resolution of Salamanders (Amphibia: Caudata) from the Mio-Pliocene Gray Fossil Site, TN , Hannah E. Darcy

A Systematic Review of the Soricimorph Eulipotyphla (Soricidae: Mammalia) from the Gray Fossil Site (Hemphillian), Tennessee , Joshua Doby

Ontogenesis in the Cranium of Alligator mississippiensis Based on Disarticulated Cranial Elements , William Henry Harris

Using Kriging, Cokriging, and GIS to Visualize Fe and Mn in Groundwater , Crystal Johnson

Discovering Rock Features with Geophysical Exploration and Archaeological Testing at the Mississippian Pile Mound Site, Upper Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee , Jeremy G. Menzer

Using Geometric Morphometrics to Differentiate Lower First Molars of Microtus Species: A Review of the Clark’s Cave Bone Deposit, VA , Mark Shelleman

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Non-anguimorph Lizards of the Late Oligocene and Early Miocene of Florida and Implications for the Reorganization of the North American Herpetofauna , Kevin Chovanec

Analysis of Snake Creek Burial Cave Mustela fossils using Linear & Landmark-based Morphometrics: Implications for Weasel Classification & Black-footed Ferret Conservation , Nathaniel S. Fox III

Continuous Tracking of Lava Effusion Rate in a Lava Tube at Kilauea Volcano Using Very Low Frequency (VLF) Monitoring , Richard A. Freeman

Evacuation and Shelter in Place Modeling for a Release of Uranium Hexafluoride , Joseph B. Harris

Late Pleistocene and Holocene Bison of Grand Canyon and Colorado Plateau: Implications from the use of Paleobiology for Natural Resource Management Policy , Jeffrey M. Martin

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Hydrogeology and Groundwater Flow of the Morrell Cave Spring Shed, Sullivan County, Tennessee , Taylor G. Burnham

Analysis of the Blancan Procyonids of Florida , Laura S. Gilmore

Identifying Myotis Species Using Geometric Morphometrics and its Implications for the Fossil Record and Conservation , Kyle J. Jansky

Site Location Modeling and Prehistoric Rock Shelter Selection on the Upper Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee , Lucinda M. Langston

A Glyptosaurine Lizard from the Eocene (late Uintan) of San Diego, California, and Implications for Glyptosaurine Evolution and Biogeography , David Moscato

A New Species of Teleoceras from the Late Miocene Gray Fossil Site, with Comparisons to Other North American Hemphillian Species , Rachel A. Short

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Landmark Analysis of Musteloid Carnassials Applied to Taxonomic Identification and Examination of Sexual Dimorphism and Regional Morphotypes , Joel Alvin Christine

A Systematic and Taphonomic Analysis of Late Pleistocene Cervid Remains and Isotopic Paleoecology of Herbivores from Guy Wilson Cave, Southern Appalachians, Tennessee , Amanda K. Giesler

Description of Jefferson’s Ground Sloth ( Megalonyx jeffersonii ) from Acb-3 Cave, Colbert County, Alabama, with Comments on Ontogeny, Taphonomy, Pathology, and Paleoecology , Sharon Elizabeth Holte

Phylogeny of Panthera , Including P. atrox , Based on Cranialmandibular Characters , Leigha M. King

Cursorial Adaptations in the Forelimb of the Giant Short-Faced Bear, Arctodus simus , Revealed by Traditional and 3D Landmark Morphometrics , Eric Randally Lynch

Non-Ranid Anurans of the Mio-Pliocene Gray Fossil Site, Tennessee , Sarah Ann Schattauer

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Using Geographical Information Systems to Investigate Spatial Patterns in Fossils of Tapirus polkenis from the Gray Fossil Site, Washington County, Tennessee , Winn Addison Ketchum

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The graduate school, three minute thesis (3mt™).

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland, Australia. The exercise develops academic, presentation, and research communication skills and supports the development of students' capacities to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience.

Doctoral students have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their dissertation topic and its significance. 3MT™ encourages students to consolidate their ideas and crystalize their research discoveries.

Congratulate the 2023 3MT Winners!

1st Place:  Hyosoon Yim

Sport Management Promoting Sport Participation among Older Adults: Application of the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory

2nd Place:  Tania Sultana

Biomedical Sciences ZIKV NS3 Drives Assembly of a Viroplasm-Like Structure (VLS)

3rd Place:  Meng Tian

Communication The Stereotypes of Female eSports Players

People's Choice:  John Akintola

Chemistry and Biochemistry Functional Polyelectrolyte Complexes

2023 3MT Competition Finalists!

Sima Sabbagh

Neuroscience Unmasking the Architects of the Brain: Marvelous FMRP

Art Education Art May Facilitate Community Building to Alleviate Chinese International Students' Alienation

Andre Juliao

Condensed Matter Experimental Physics Nb3Sn for Axion Detection

Hemant Goswami

Molecular Biophysics Development of an Ultrasensitive and Rapid Virus Detection Method Based on CRISPR-Cas Enzyme

Toshiaki Kanai

Physics  Quantum Computer on Solid Neon 

Qiushan Liu

Developmental Psychology Investigating Strategy Flexibility in Algebra

Click here to read the FSU News Article

Click here to see the 2023 3MT Competition Gallery

Your graduate research. 3 minutes. 1 slide.

Why Participate?

Skills development for research candidates Participating in 3MT develops academic, presentation and research communication skills, while developing research candidates’ ability to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

Building external relations for the university 3MT winners go on to represent FSU at regional and national competitions which provides an excellent networking and professional development opportunity. 

Are you eligible?

Currently enrolled doctoral students at Florida State University are eligible to participate in the 3MT™. 3MT® presentations must represent the primary research the student has conducted in their graduate program.

Master's students are not eligible.

What are the prizes?

• 1st Place -  $1,000
• 2nd Place -  $750
• 3rd Place -  $500
• People's Choice (selected by the audience): $250

What are the judging criteria?

At every level of the competition each competitor will be assessed on the judging criteria listed below. Each criterion is equally weighted and has an emphasis on audience.

Comprehension and content

• Presentation provided clear background and significance to the research question
• Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research
• Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes and impact of the research

Engagement and communication

• The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience
• The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention

What are the rules?

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description), and the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration and remain in view for the duration of the oration.
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum, and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
• The decision of the judging panel is final.

Helpful Resources

• Click here to view the Three Minute Thesis Virtual Competition Handbook.

3MT Recording/Editing Links

• OpenShot Editing Video
• Kapwing Website
• 3MT Workshop Recording of Kapwing Editor: this video is a demonstration of the software
• Kapwing Tutorial
• FSU Canvas Support Center Tutorial : Best Practices for Student Video Production (iMovie and Movie Maker)
• Vimeo Website

Past 3MT™ Competitions

Fall 2023 3MT™

Doctoral student in Sport Management, Hyosoon Yim took first place at this year's 3MT competition and won $1,000. Read more .

Fall 2022 3MT™

Doctoral student in Science Education, Dionne Wilson took first place at this year's 3MT competition and won $1,000. Read more .

Fall 2021 3MT™

Doctoral student in Art Education, Chris Omni took first place at this year's 3MT competition and won $1,000.  Read more.

Fall 2020 3MT™

Mark Duslak (Educational Leadership & Policy Studies) and Matthew Martenson (Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences) finished first this year. Read more.

Fall 2019 3MT™

Judges selected Alyssa Henderson (Physics)and Sara Jones (Biomedical Sciences) as this year’s first-place winners. Read more.

Fall 2018 3MT™

Doctoral student in biological science, Eve Humphrey took first place at this year's 3MT competition and won $1,000. Read more.

Fall 2017 3MT™

For the first time, a student from the College of Education, Shannon Gooden (Teacher Education), won the $1,000 prize. Read more.

Fall 2016 3MT™

Madhuparna Roy (Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering)won first place in this year's competition. Read more.

Fall 2015 3MT™

Aniket Ingrole (Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering) won first place in the 3MT™ competition. Read more.

Fall 2014 3MT™

Kimberly Smith (Neuroscience) won first place in this year's 3MT™ competition. Read more.

View the past 3MT competition galleries

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Three-Minute Thesis Competition – 3MT

Three-Minute Thesis is an international competition for graduate students to present their research in 3 minutes or less using only 1 slide. The first 3MT was held at The University of Queensland in 2008 with 160 PhD students competing. Enthusiasm for the 3MT concept grew and its widespread implementation by universities has led to the development of an international competition. The global reach of the competition can be seen by the extent of participation with universities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Vietnam also hosting local 3MT events. East Carolina University is proud to host the Three Minute Thesis competition and hope that you will join us for this exciting event.

Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) is just around the corner. This exciting and very helpful competition is for ANY graduate student conducting research, not just those working on a thesis as the name implies.

How is participating in the competition helpful? The structure of 3MT forces (in a good way) researchers to summarize their research and do so with non-technical language. You will use this skill later in poster presentations, when speaking with potential donors or sponsors of your research, and while participating in job interviews.

The Center for Communication Excellence partners with the Graduate School to host some outstanding sessions to prepare you for 3MT, but keep in mind they are also preparing you to present, in general, and to create a visually effective slide to accompany your presentation. Following is information about preparatory sessions and the link to register for 3MT and submit your materials.

3MT Workshops :

• October 24, 4:00 – 4:45 PM, Joyner East 205/ Center for Communication Excellence. This is a face-to-face event.
• October 25, 12:00 – 12:45 PM Virtual event via Teams. Click here to join the meeting

3MT Individual Practice Appointments (for feedback, coaching, etc.):

• November 1, 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon Virtual event via Teams. Click here to join the meeting
• November 1, 1:00 – 3:00 PM, Joyner East 205/ Center for Communication Excellence. This is a face-to-face event.

Register and Submit Materials :

• November 1 registration deadline.
• Go to the 3MT website for general information and then click Submit Your Abstract to register and submit your abstract and upload your static slide.

Questions? Reach out to Dr. Ron Preston ( [email protected] ) for more information about this event.

A special thank you to all of our participants, staff, sponsors, and volunteers who help make this event possible!

Stay tuned for the 2023 3MT program!

What is 3MT?

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ETSU Theses and Dissertations

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ETSU has required electronic publication of graduate theses and dissertations since January, 2001. 

The majority of ETSU electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) are available online without restriction from Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University.

Before January, 2001, ETSU theses and dissertations were published in print. This print collection is located on the 3rd floor, just inside the entrance to the book collections and study area. 

Theses are shelved alphabetically by the author's last name.

Archival copies of  all  ETSU theses and dissertations are available on microfilm in the University Archives, part of the Archives of Appalachia, located on the 4th floor of the Sherrod Library.

ETSU Master's theses published since 2000 and Doctoral dissertations published since 1972 are available online from ProQuest to current ETSU students, faculty, and staff.

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Locate ETSU Theses and Dissertations in Print

3rd Floor On your left as you enter the collections and study area.

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Graduate School Updates>

The latest COVID-19 news and information is available at  Penn State's Coronavirus Information website . 

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Update

On March 11 th  the University announced that beginning March 16 th  instruction for all students will be moving to a remote delivery format. Graduate students enrolled in resident courses should plan on participating remotely, and not coming to campus specifically for face-to-face instruction. Learn more at gradschool.psu.edu/covid19 .

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Three Minute Thesis

•  /  Career and Professional Development
•  /  Three Minute Thesis

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an academic research communication competition developed by the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. Through the competition, graduate and professional students can hone their academic and research presentation skills and their ability to effectively explain their research to a general audience. Each competitor has three minutes to speak and can use only one presentation slide.

The Graduate School will be hosting the 2024 Three Minute Thesis competition in partnership with the Graduate and Professional Student Association and the Graduate School Alumni Society .

Watch the Final Round

3MT at Penn State in 2024 

Penn State’s first University-wide 3MT Competition will take place over two rounds. To compete, graduate students must upload a video presentation during the submission period (January 8–February 9) and be available for the final, in-person round on Saturday, March 23, on the University Park campus.

Competitor Information

Learn more about eligibility requirements, the upcoming timeline, prize money, and more.

Judge Information

Learn about remote judging for the opening round, who can be a judge, judging criteria, and more.

Prizes 

• First Place: $1,000
• Second Place: $500
• People's Choice: $500

Competition Format

Opening Round — Video Format expand_more

Open call to any Penn State graduate or professional student conducting research to submit three-minute videos. Submissions will be judged by alumni, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, staff, and others. The top 10 students get invited to the final round as well as a free lunch at Penn State’s annual Doctoral Alumni Recognition Luncheon hosted by the Dean of the Graduate School. 

Final Round — In-Person Format expand_more

Saturday, March 23  10:00-11:15 a.m.  Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center 

The final round will be live streamed from the University Park campus and will include a people’s choice prize selected by virtual and in-person audience ballots. Winners will be announced shortly after the competition.

Regional and National Competitions expand_more

The top-scoring Ph.D. student from Penn State’s final round will be invited to the regional 3MT competition hosted by the Northeast Association of Graduate Schools in April 2024 (exact date to be determined). Winners of the regional competition are invited to the national competition hosted by the Council of Graduate Schools. Students in master's and professional degree programs are eligible to participate in Penn State's competition but are not eligible for the regional or national competitions.

Why participate?

Megan Rossi, past 3MT winner at the University of Queensland, discusses how the 3MT competition helped her career.

Contact  

Direct all questions about Three Minute Thesis at Penn State to: [email protected] .  

Three Minute Thesis, Graduate Exhibition, or Both?

In spring 2024, Penn State graduate students can participate in two major research and scholarship communication events, the Three Minute Thesis and the  Graduate Exhibition . Students are welcome to participate in both but should be aware that each event has its own application process and deadlines.

Graduate Education

Office of graduate and postdoctoral education, three minutes, infinite impact: 2024 3mt winners announced.

Apr 10, 2024

The ninth annual Georgia Tech Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition concluded on Friday, April 5, where 12 scholars shared their groundbreaking research through electrifying and informative three-minute-long presentations. Four graduate students emerged victorious, each winner taking home research travel grants.

Congratulations to the 2024 Three Minute Thesis Winners:

Master's Winner

Karina Bhattacharya, MID, Industrial Design

The master’s category winner won a $1,000 research travel grant.

Overall  Ph.D. Winner

Alexandra Patterson, Ph.D. Bioengineering

First Runner Up

Kantwon Rogers, Ph.D. Computer Science

Second Runner Up

Valeria Juarez, Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering

The first-place Ph.D. winner won a $2,000 research travel grant. The Ph.D. first runner-up

Won a $1,500 research travel grant, and the second runner-up won a $1,000 runner-up grant.

First runner-up, Kantwon Rogers also won the coveted People's Choice award,

which earned him an additional $500 research travel grant.

The Office of Graduate Education coordinates tech’s 3MT competition in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), The Naugle Communications Center, and the Language Institute. For more information about this year’s 3MT Competition, visit grad.gatech.edu/3mt .

Brittani Hill

Marketing Communications Manager

Office of Graduate Education

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Annual Three-Minute Thesis Competition Provides Research Capsule Talks

Creating an elevator pitch from information gleaned through years of specialized research takes clear thinking, precise wording and a flair for presenting to an audience. Just ask the participants of this year’s Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Ten graduate and doctoral students took part in the contest’s final round last month.  

3MT provides participants with the chance to share details about their research and creative work in a compelling way—within a three-minute time limit. It was first developed by the University of Queensland in Australia and is now held at colleges and universities around the world.   

“3MT forces students to come up with ways to describe their research succinctly to non-specialists in a way that is not just comprehensible, but is also interesting and engaging. That’s a skill set that will pay off on the job market, and even beyond, as far as interacting with the media and others who can help disseminate your work and findings more broadly,” says Glenn Wright, executive director of career and professional development for the Graduate School, who runs the competition.  

Nimisha Thakur

This year’s top winner is Nim isha Thakur , a Ph.D. student in anthropology, whose topic was “ River Song: Riverine Futures Amidst Climate Change on the Brahmaputra Floodplains .” Thakur, a graduate research associate at the South Asia Center in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs , won a 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 and a year membership in the Anthropological Association of America. Thakur also has the chance to represent Syracuse University in the regional 3MT competition hosted by the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools.   

Qingyang Liu

Qingyang Liu , a Ph.D. student in human developm ent and family science, was named the “People’s Choice” winner by audience vote. Liu conducts research in the SELF Regulation Laboratory in  the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics . Her topic was “ Material Hardship’s Influence on Self-Regulation Across Childhood: Which Hardship Truly Matters ?” The prize was a set of Bose noise-cancelling headphones.   

Additional finalists were:   

• Caroline Barraco , master’s student in history, “Authenticity, Commodity and Empire in the Early Modern Spanish Relic Trade”  
• Yener Çağla Çimendereli , Ph.D. student in philosophy, “Nonnative Speaking and Linguistic Justice”  
• Nicholas Croce , Ph.D. student in social science, “America’s Forgotten Labor Colony Experiment”  
• Nardini Jhawar , Ph.D. student in clinical psychology, “Racial Reflections: Examining ADHD Help-Seeking Among Asian American College Students”  
• Matthew D. O’Leary , Ph.D. student in anthropology, “Entangled Frontiers: Capitalism and Artifacts of Power at Fort St. Frédéric”  
• Andrew Ridgeway , Ph.D. student in composition and cultural rhetoric, “Evil We Desire: Akrasia and Conspiracy Rhetoric”  
• Paul Sagoe , Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering, “From Joint Pain to Joy Gain: Delivering Drugs for Osteoarthritis Cure”’  
• Julia Zeh , Ph.D. student in biology, “From Baby Babbles to Masterful Melodies: Investigating Vocal Development in Humpback Whales”  

Judges were Sarah Hamersma, associate professor and director of doctoral studies in public administration and international affairs, and Chung-Chin Eugene Liu, assistant professor of economics, both of the Maxwell School; and Corey Williams, a Syracuse City School District employee and a Common Councilor for Syracuse’s Third District.

Diane Stirling

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Student Wins Runner-Up at Three Minute Thesis Competition

Emma Elizabeth Sabu Kattuman, a Ph.D. student in physiology and pharmacology in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, was honored as the runner-up and recipient of the people’s choice award at the Three Minute Thesis Competition regional competition held by the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools in St. Louis on April 5.

She has been nominated to represent midwestern universities at the national-level competition scheduled for December of this year.

Emma Elizabeth Sabu Kattuman, a Ph.D. student in physiology and pharmacology, was honored as the runner-up and recipient of the people’s choice award at the Three Minute Thesis Competition regional competition.

Last year, Sabu Kattuman won first place and the people’s choice award at the intra-university 3MT finals.

“This award brings me great joy and pride to be able to represent my institution at the regional and national level,” said Sabu Kattuman. “This platform provides us the great opportunity to describe our research to a general audience within three minutes. It was really amazing to hear about all the different research that was going on in the fields other than my field of interest. A truly enriching experience.”

The 3MT is an exercise that develops academic, presentation and research communication skills and challenges the research student’s capacity to effectively explain their research in only three minutes in a language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience.

Graduate students in good standing in the thesis and dissertation-writing stage of their studies were eligible to compete.

Three Minute Thesis

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is a research communication competition that challenges master's and Ph.D. students to describe their research topic and its significance in just 3 minutes to a general audience.

3MT seeks to enhance the profile of graduate students both within university communities and the wider community. 3MT develops academic, presentation, and research communication skills and supports the development of research students' capacity to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. 3MT is not designed to trivialize or "dumb-down" research, but rather encourage students to consolidate their ideas and crystalize their research discoveries.

Students are allowed to use one static slide, and no additional transitions, animation, video, or props. Presentations are all spoken word, and exclude songs and theatrical performances.

First place: $750 Second place: $500 People's choice: $750

The first place winner will be entered in the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools competition in March. In the event the first place winner is unable to attend, the second place winner will attend. Prizes are taxable.

Who can compete?

Any Illinois State master's or doctoral student enrolled during the current academic year is eligible. The 10 university finalists must submit an advisor consent form .

Each college selects a winner(s). Colleges have the choice to run their own heats or nominate students. For information about your college's competition, contact your college research coordinator:

College of Arts and Sciences

Laura Vogel

College of Applied Science and Technology

Cara Rabe-Hemp

College of Business

Somnath Lahiri

College of Education

Mennonite college of nursing, wonsook kim college of fine arts.

Sara Semonis

Ten finalists will compete at the Normal Theater, February 29, 2024. For information about the university wide competition, contact Dana Davidson .

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations or movement of any description; the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration.
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps or songs).
• Presentations are to commence from the stage.
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech.
• The decision of the judging panel is final.

Judging criteria

Comprehension and content.

• Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background to the research question being addressed and its significance?
• Did the presentation clearly describe the key results of the research including conclusions and outcomes?
• Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
• Was the thesis topic, key results and research significance and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
• Did the speaker avoid scientific jargon, explain terminology and provide adequate background information to illustrate points?
• Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation, or did they elaborate for too long on one aspect or was the presentation rushed?

Engagement and communication

• Did the presentation make the audience want to know more?
• Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or generalize their research?
• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
• Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience's attention?
• Did the speaker have sufficient stage presence, eye contact and vocal range; maintain a steady pace, and have a confident stance?
• Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation? Was it clear, legible, and concise?

Milner Library has video recording equipment available to record your 3MT presentation. Milner also rents equipment.

History of the 3MT

3MT was developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and has spread to over 18 countries and 200 universities worldwide. UQ owns the rights to the program and branding of the logo while providing extensive resources to host local competitions. In the United States 3MT is fast growing and has expanded to regional competitions (eg. Midwest Association of Graduate Schools) and potentially to a national competition at the annual Council of Graduate Schools meeting. UQ has expanded their Australian competition to the Asia-Pacific 3MT Competition to include Australia, New Zealand, and a select number of Asian institutions.

Learn more at the Three Minute Thesis website .

View past Three Minute Thesis finalists

• 2022 Finalists
• 2021 Finalists
• 2020 Finalists
• 2019 Finalists
• 2018 Finalists
• 2017 Finalists

Meet the 2024 Three Minute Thesis competition finalists

CAST selects Three Minute Thesis Competition winner

Series assists Redbirds applying to graduate school

Additional links.

• Apply to Graduate School
• Our Graduate Programs

University Resources

An 80,000 word PhD thesis would take 9 hours to present. Their time limit... 3 minutes.