Elizabeth Watt
2015 3MT National Champion
“Canada’s 3MT is just one example of excellent professional development opportunities offered to today’s graduate students. The idea that researchers need to present their ideas and results to the public is gaining traction. The speeches that I had the opportunity to hear at every level of the competition covered a vast range of topics. What united all of them was the passion of the presenter. Before I listened to the speeches, I may not have ever explored migratory patterns of birds, coronary embolisms, or the effect of climate change. But I came out of the presentations feeling excited about many different fields of research, and contemplating how many graduate degrees is too many if I were to pursue all of the topics! My experience with Canada’s 3 Minute Thesis has allowed me to advocate for my research topic with many people within and outside my field. It has far better prepared me for those brief elevator discussions where one tries to describe their research between the third and sixth floors! And perhaps one of the most tangible results I’ve seen is that I think my family, including my 94-year-old grandmother, might finally understand what I do Whether you are participating at the local, regional or national level, I wish you the best of luck and remember to have fun!”
