Graduate students across disciplines took top prizes Thursday, March 13, in the final round of the 2025 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, where they were charged with explaining their scholarship in language appropriate for a non-specialist audience in three minutes or less.

Developed by the University of Queensland in Australia in 2008, 3MT was designed to encourage students to develop their academic, presentation and research communication skills. The competition supports student abilities to explain their research in language appropriate for a non-specialized audience.

Sponsored by The Graduate School and the University Library, the final round of Georgia State’s 3MT contest was held March 13 at Centennial Hall.

Seven master’s and seven doctoral students from various programs competed, and a panel of judges awarded first-, second- and third-place cash prizes. The Georgia State community was also given an opportunity to name a People’s Choice Award winner in each category.

"We are incredibly proud of the talent and dedication displayed by our graduate students at the ninth annual Three Minute Thesis Competition,” said Lisa Armistead, dean of The Graduate School. “This event highlights the importance of communicating complex scholarship in a way that is accessible to everyone. Our students have truly excelled in bridging the gap between academia and the broader community, showcasing the diverse and impactful research happening at Georgia State."

The 14 finalists competing were chosen from an initial pool of 42 contestants.

Judges for the competition were Georgia State University First Lady Bridget Blake; Carrie Manning, associate provost for international initiatives and a professor of political science; Sarah Allen Gershon, director of WomenLead, a professor of political science and a faculty affiliate with Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies; and Tim Denning, president and CEO of the Georgia Research Alliance.

"The Three Minute Thesis Competition is a testament to the innovative and interdisciplinary work being conducted by our graduate students,” said Nadine Kabengi, associate dean of The Graduate School and professor in the Department of Geosciences. “It is inspiring to see them rise to the challenge of presenting their scholarship concisely and effectively. Congratulations to all participants and winners for their outstanding efforts and contributions to advancing knowledge in their respective fields."

Winners of the final round were:

Master's

First Place: Aduragbemi Alabi

Title: Induction of Pyroptosis by Coronaviruses Using MHV-infected Fibroblast Cells

Program: Biology – Master's

College: College of Arts & Sciences

Adviser: Jessica Carter

Second Place: Jini Jung

Title: Exploring Graduate Students' Perception of the Diverse Uses of GenAI

Program: Applied Linguistics and ESL - Master's

College: College of Arts & Sciences

Advisers: Diane Belcher and Daniel Dixon

Third Place: Olivia Basant

Title: Rectifying the Aza-BODIPY Achilles Heel: The Story to Diversification and Rationale-Based

Design for Tuning the NIR Potential Bioimaging Applications

Program: Chemistry - Master's

College: College of Arts & Sciences

Adviser: Maged Henary

People’s Choice (tie): 

Oluwapelumi Kolade

Title: What Factors Influence CEO Compensation? A Data-Driven Approach

Program: MBA - Business Analysis – Master's

College: J. Mack Robinson College of Business

Adviser: Subhashish "Sub" Samaddar

Jini Jung

Title: Exploring Graduate Students' Perception of the Diverse Uses of GenAI

Program: Applied Linguistics and ESL - Master's

College: College of Arts & Sciences

Advisers: Diane Belcher and Daniel Dixon

Doctoral

First Place: Nabanita Das

Title: How to Measure the Mass of a Black Hole? Case Study: MCG-06-30-15

Program: Astronomy - Ph.D.

College: College of Arts & Sciences

Adviser: Misty Bentz

Second Place: Matthew Babb

Title: Friendships Affect Prosocial Behavior in Capuchin Monkeys

Program: Psychology - Doctoral

College: College of Arts & Sciences

Adviser: Sarah Brosnan

Third Place: Wendy Ahn

Title: Effects of Body Fat Distribution on Fall Risk Among Older Adults with Obesity

Program: Kinesiology - Doctoral
College: College of Education & Human Development

Adviser: Feng Yang

People’s Choice: Matthew Babb

Title: Friendships Affect Prosocial Behavior in Capuchin Monkeys

Program: Psychology - Doctoral

College: College of Arts & Sciences

Adviser: Sarah Brosnan