The University of Nevada, Reno announced on April 15 the winners of its 2026 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, an annual event where graduate students present their research in a concise and accessible format.
The competition is designed to help graduate scholars communicate complex research topics clearly to a general audience. Participants are required to explain their work in under three minutes using only one static slide, making it an exercise in both clarity and brevity.
The final round took place on April 9, featuring master’s and doctoral students from diverse disciplines. The Graduate School reported that finalists demonstrated professionalism and deep knowledge during their presentations. Jeshurun Biney won the People’s Choice Award for the presentation “Smart Sensors for Lifesaving Brain Shunts,” receiving $600. In the master’s category, Rosa Kirk‑Davidoff secured first place with “Using Shrubs as Allies in Post-Fire Tree Planting” ($1,500), followed by Kristina Priotto and Quinn Contaldi. For doctoral candidates, Abdulwarith Kassim earned top honors with “The Plastic with an Undo Button” ($1,500), alongside Madhusudan Manjunatha and Dan Li as other awardees.
Additional finalists included Graham BeVier, Ishika Bhattacharya, Joshua Chukwu, Omotayo Fagbule, Caleb Gesick, Qizhou Luo, Aastha Pudasainee, Chathura Sumanasiri and Jay Villanueva. The Graduate School congratulated all participants for showcasing innovation and creativity across a range of research topics.
Judges for this year’s event included Heather Brown (Regent), Heather Goulding (Nevada State Assembly), Paul Hauptman (Dean of Medicine), Matthew Hawn (Graduate Student Alumni Chapter Vice President), Jennifer McClendon (Faculty Senate Chair), Demetris Paraskevopoulos (Nif/T founder) and Tom Weller (Dean of Engineering). The school also thanked Dr. Mitch Hitchcock for his ongoing support.