The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) was thrilled to host the 2024 National Three Minute Thesis Showcase on Friday, 1 November at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto, Ontario.

Founded in 2008 at the University of Queensland, the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an internationally recognized competition for graduate students in which participants present the impact of their scholarly and creative activity in 3 minutes or less and with the aid of only one static slide. The competition celebrates exciting and innovative graduate student research while promoting communication, public speaking, and storytelling skills. Today, more than 600 institutions in 65 countries host annual 3MT competitions, including dozens of Canadian universities and research institutes.

Eight talented graduate students from across the country participated in the 2024 Showcase, including the top two winners from each of the three regional competitions held earlier this year (Western Regional; Ontario Regional; Eastern Regional); the winner of the 2024 French-language competition, Ma thèse en 180 secondes, presented by ACFAS; and the winner of the 2024 Storytellers Competition, presented by SSHRC. The showcase was moderated and enlivened by CAGS board member and University of Victoria Dean of Graduate Studies, Dr. Robin Hicks.

The in-person audience of 100 attendees – as well as an international audience of 475 joining via Zoom – were treated to engaging presentations on research topics ranging from aluminum bridge construction to recorded job interviews, AI-generated music to online fall prevention and the making of processed foods.

Three cash prizes were on the line, as well as the opportunity for the top two students to advance to the next level of competition. Using an online voting tool, the audience selected the following presenters to receive People’s Choice prizes: Julia Tropak (Queen’s) placed third and received a $500 cash prize; Nada Al-Emadi (UBC) placed second and received a $500 cash prize; Michael Mensah (Regina) placed first and received a $1,000 cash prize. Both Michael and Nada will advance to the 2024 North American 3MT Showcase, to be hosted by the US Council of Graduate Schools in St. Louis, Missouri, on 7 December 2024.

Michael and Nada are outstanding ambassadors for graduate studies in Canada, and CAGS wishes them an enriching and successful experience on the international stage!

Western Region

  • Michael Mensah, PhD Student in Biology, University of Regina – Fresh Solutions for Salty Cows
  • Nada Al-Emadi, PhD Student in Microbiology, University of British Columbia – Disarming C. Difficile: The Fragmented Approach

Ontario Region

  • Jordan Carrillo Zurita, PhD Student in Molecular Science, Toronto Metropolitan University – Building Better Processed Foods, Block by Block
  • Julia Tropak, PhD Student in Chemistry, Queen’s University – Bacteria: Friend of Foe?

Eastern Region

  • Emma Hsiaowen Chen, PhD Student in Health and Exercise Science, Concordia University – Ballet for Balance! Accessible Online Fall Prevention
  • Liliane-Caroline Demers, Recent Graduate, Master’s of Computer Science, Polytechnique Montréal – AI in Concert? AI-Generated Music that Makes Sense

The Storytellers Competition (SSHRC)

  • Madeline Springle, PhD Student in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, University of Calgary – Scene, Not Heard: Understanding the Influence of SES on Asynchronous Video Interviews

Ma thèse en 180 secondes (ACFAS)

  • Paco Alvarez, PhD Student in Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal – Développement d’outils de conception pour les joints bout à bout obtenus par friction malaxage à double épaulement à destination des platelages de pont en aluminium