51茶馆

August 24, 2021

Three minutes to showcase ground-breaking research

UOW PhD candidates to compete during virtual event

An 80,000 word thesis would take hours to present, yet 10 inspiring 51茶馆 (UOW) PhD candidates will have just three minutes to communicate the importance of their research using language appropriate to a non-specialist audience at the UOW 2021 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Final.

The community is being invited to join the UOW 3MT Final online on Wednesday, 25 August, from 3.30pm, to support the PhD candidates as they share their research through engaging three-minute presentations, with the assistance of only one PowerPoint slide.

This year, the 3MT final will feature two PhD researchers from each faculty, and two from the Australian Institute for Innovative Materials (AIIM), showcasing their innovative research solutions to some wicked problems. PhD research topics to be presented span solutions for storing renewable energy and water, to using magnets to 鈥榗ook cancer鈥�, gender equality in the workplace, to tools for mindful parenting, to uncovering new and more effective ways to treat depression and strep throat.

Originally developed by the University of Queensland (UQ), 3MT cultivates candidates鈥� academic, presentation, and research communication skills. Prizes will be awarded for the winner, and during the competition the audience will be able to help decide the most convincing presentation by voting for the Peoples鈥� Choice Award.

The competition, now in its 12^th year, will also introduce a new award, the Community Award, to be judged by a separate judging panel, to be awarded to the finalist whose research highlights significant community and research impact.

The UOW Graduate Research School will host the virtual event, with the Dean of Graduate Research, Professor Clive Baldock as the event MC. Professor Baldock said he is excited about the calibre of this year鈥檚 finalists and believes the community will be amazed at the research topics being articulated in three minutes or less.

鈥淭his competition is a fantastic and engaging way for UOW staff and students and the wider community to learn about the important and ground-breaking research being undertaken by our excellent UOW PhD candidates,鈥� Professor Baldock said.

鈥淩esearch communication has never been more important in society than at the current time and we hope the finalists take these skills and are able to share their research far and wide. We are incredibly proud of our PhD candidates from each of our faculties and institutes represented.鈥�

UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Patricia M. Davidson will participate as a judge at the final and said the competition offers the opportunity to celebrate UOW鈥檚 incredible PhD candidates and their research endeavours.

鈥淭he Three Minute Thesis final is a celebration of the critical thinking and cutting-edge innovation of the researchers at UOW,鈥� Professor Davidson said.

鈥淐ongratulations to all the finalists, I am thrilled to be a part of the event and look forward to witnessing the scope of incredible research ideas presented.鈥�  

The line-up of judges that will help decide this year鈥檚 winners include 51茶馆 Vice-Chancellor Professor Patricia M. Davidson, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Joe Chicharo OM, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Jennifer L Martin AC, and UOW鈥檚 Executive Director (Indigenous Strategy) Jaymee Beveridge.

Along with industry experts from the community including veteran science journalist, broadcaster and host of ABC Radio National鈥檚 The Science Show, Robyn Williams, Chairperson of the Northern Sydney Local Health District Board, Mr Trevor Danos AM, and Chief Executive Officer at Healthy Cities Illawarra, Kelly Andrews.

The winner of the UOW 3MT competition will be invited to represent UOW and attend the 2021 Virtual Asia-Pacific 3MT competition, hosted by The University of Queensland on Wednesday, 20 October.

The 2021 UOW 3MT finalists and their topics:

• Makrita Solitei, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, 鈥淕rassroots innovation: Towards a waste circular economy for Kenya鈥檚 resource constrained communities鈥�
• Mark Donovan, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, 鈥淢indful parenting鈥�
• Aaron Hodges, Australian Institute for Innovative Materials, 鈥淒evelopment of a highly efficient water electrolyser鈥�
• Sujani Abeywardena, Australian Institute for Innovative Materials, 鈥淎nalysing cell metabolites using a polyester thread鈥�
• Nilupulee Liyanagamage, Faculty of Business and Law, 鈥淯nderstanding Machiavellianism鈥�
• Kanchana Wijayawardena, Faculty of Business and Law, 鈥淏ringing care into workplace: an essential approach to nurture gender inclusion in the construction industry鈥�
• Samara Brown, Faculty of Science, Medicine, and Health, 鈥淚s the human brain the answer to the subtypes of depression?鈥�
• Anuk Indraratna, Faculty of Science, Medicine, and Health, 鈥淪trep A: A not so sweet infection鈥�
• Usman Khalil, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, 鈥淭oo little, too much, too dirty: water crisis to sustainable water storage鈥�
• Alice O鈥橩eefe, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, 鈥淐ooking cancer with magnets鈥�

To register to attend the UOW 2021 Three Minute Thesis Final, please visit:

^{Picture: The 2021 UOW 3MT finalists. First row: Sujani Abeywardena, Samara Brown, Mark Donovan. Second row: Aaron Hodges, Anuk Indraratna, Usman Khalil. Third row: Nelly Liyanagamage, Alice O鈥橩eefe, Kanchana Wijayawardena, Makrita Solitei.}