From sustainable agriculture to environmental education and student well-being, Brock graduate researchers are demonstrating that complex ideas can be explained in just 60 seconds.<\/p>\n
The winners of the University’s 2026 GRADflix competition<\/a> were recognized for transforming their research into engaging one-minute videos designed for audiences beyond academia. The annual competition challenges students to communicate their work in creative, accessible ways while showcasing the impact of graduate research.<\/p>\n This year’s first-place prize was awarded to Biological Sciences PhD student Isabela Fetter for Plants Can Obtain Nitrogen Through a Fungal Partner<\/a>. Madelyn Sturgeon (MEd \u201926) earned second place for It Was Never Just a Choice<\/a>, while Kinesiology master\u2019s student Mikayla McEwan placed third for Behind the Post: Social Media and the Well-being of University Student-Athletes<\/a>.<\/p>\n For Fetter, the win was especially meaningful after placing third in last year’s competition.<\/p>\n “I was very, very happy,” she said. “Events like GRADflix and the Three Minute Thesis are essential because they bring knowledge that is often limited to a small academic niche to a broader audience.”<\/p>\n Fetter’s research focuses on Metarhizium<\/em>, a group of naturally occurring fungi used around the world as biological control agents to manage agricultural pests while reducing the need for chemical pesticides.<\/p>\n While many Metarhizium<\/em> species infect a wide range of insects, the species Fetter studies infects only locusts. Fetter\u2019s video explores whether the fungus can absorb nitrogen from infected locusts and transfer that nutrient to nearby plants, offering new insight into the ecological relationships between fungi, insects and plants.<\/p>\n “I investigate what makes this specialist different from the fungi that can infect many different insects,” she said. “I also want to understand how this fungus behaves in nature.”<\/p>\n Condensing years of doctoral research into one minute meant selecting an experiment that could be explained visually and in language that would resonate with a broad audience.<\/p>\n “I looked at all the experiments I’ve been doing since the beginning of my PhD and chose one that would be easier to explain through videos and images,” Fetter said. “I wanted something that could be communicated in accessible language.”<\/p>\n To ensure her message resonated beyond academia, Fetter asked friends with no scientific background to review her script and provide feedback.<\/p>\n “The thing that helped me the most was building my script and asking people completely outside academia if they could understand what I was saying,” she said.<\/p>\n Fetter credits much of her success to the support of those around her, including her supervisor, Professor of Biological Sciences Michael Bidochka, whose encouragement has inspired students in his lab to participate in science communication opportunities.<\/p>\n Second-place winner Sturgeon, a recent Master of Education graduate, explored how consumerism is taught in kindergarten to Grade 12 environmental and sustainability education.<\/p>\n “I felt honoured,” she said. “Placing second at GRADflix felt like another win, for me and for getting my research out there.”<\/p>\n Sturgeon said she was especially proud that the work of illustrating every frame by hand paid off.<\/p>\n “I’m grateful to the judges and everyone behind GRADflix for creating a space where research such as mine can be shared in a less intimidating, more bite-sized way.”<\/p>\n Third-place winner Mikayla McEwan, whose video explored the impact of social media on student-athletes, said she was surprised and honoured to receive the recognition.<\/p>\n “Beyond the award itself, I appreciated the opportunity to share a topic that I’m passionate about and to help bring attention to the experiences and well-being of student-athletes,” she said.<\/p>\n