Three graduate students – all from the College of Letters and Science – took the top prizes in UWM’s inaugural Three-Minute Thesis competition (3MT), an elevator pitch-style event that aims to explain complex research to a general audience in three-minute increments. The event was held at the Zelazo Center on Wednesday, April 4.
Lisa Taxier, from the Department of Psychology, took the first-place prize of $1,500 for her overview of the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. Taxier is researching the genes related to memory loss and the role played by estrogen hormones. The goal is to discover why the disease affects far more women than men. (Advisor: Karyn Frick)
The second-place prize of $1,000 went to Jessica Skinner from the Department of Anthropology, who described how human remains buried in unmarked graves at the county almshouse cemetery can help the living. Using 3-D digital scans of full skeletons and historical documentation, researchers can understand the illnesses and injuries the deceased suffered when they were alive, and then apply that knowledge to the present. (Advisor: Patricia Richards)
Anahit Campbell from the Department of Chemistry earned the third-place prize of $500 for her explanation of a fast, affordable and noninvasive urinary test for the detection of a kidney disease that strikes newborns. The test, which reveals protein biomarkers, will help babies get treatment before a kidney fails. (Advisor: Shama Mirza)
A total of 14 finalists from 11 departments participated in the 3MT event, which was sponsored by the Graduate School, the UWM Research Foundation and the Office of Research.
Judges for the contest were Raul Galvan, manager of program production for Milwaukee Public Television; Kira Lafond, publisher of the Milwaukee Business Journal; Merry Weisner-Hanks, UWM distinguished professor of history; and Wisconsin state Rep. Daniel Riemer of the 7th Assembly District.
More than 50 graduate students were involved in the semifinalist rounds, said Graduate School Dean Marija Gajdardziska, and she hopes the competition will attract even more participants next year.
Here are this year’s other 3MT finalists: Nyles Breecher, math; Brittany Heintz, kinesiology; Tyler Buddell, biological sciences; Debnandini Mukherjee, physics; Hongyang Yang, architecture; Mukta Joshi, kinesiology; Daniel Knutson, chemistry; Shabnam Lashkari, industrial engineering; Samantha Schwartz, history; Shima Mehrvar, electrical engineering; and Hanna Yousuf, neuropsychology.
