{"id":43832,"date":"2017-03-02T13:47:43","date_gmt":"2017-03-02T17:47:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=43832"},"modified":"2017-03-03T11:11:29","modified_gmt":"2017-03-03T15:11:29","slug":"finalists-chosen-for-three-minute-thesis-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2017\/03\/finalists-chosen-for-three-minute-thesis-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"Finalists chosen for Three Minute Thesis Challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was a race against time 10 graduate students were eager to win.<\/p>\n

Each with three minutes on the clock, they attempted to explain their research in a captivating way to impressed the judges and those in attendance during the preliminary round of Brock\u2019s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Challenge.<\/p>\n

The Feb. 16 event resulted in the selection of five finalists now set to compete Thursday, March 30 in Pond Inlet.<\/p>\n

Advancing to the finals, in no particular order, are Caitlyn Gallant, Katie Faust, Laura Kovac, Andr\u00e9anne H\u00e9bert-Hach\u00e9 and Camille Xinmei Rousseau.<\/p>\n

The research presented throughout the preliminary round touched on a number of topics, from improving cold tolerance of grapevines to the degeneration of female sports.<\/p>\n

Narrowing down the finalists was a difficult decision for judges Ryan McCarthy, Director of Research Services, Grant Armstrong, Associate Vice-President of Human Resources and Carly MaGee, Research Ethics Officer, who was also Brock\u2019s 2016 3MT competition winner and a national 3MT People\u2019s Choice award recipient.<\/p>\n

Sitting in the judge\u2019s seat offered MaGee a chance to reflect her time as a competitor and to \u201cappreciate the immense number of skills and connections\u201d the experience brought her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI continue to be amazed at the calibre of work going on here at Brock. I find each new project and each student\u2019s unique passion truly fascinating.\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cJudging the competition gave me a sense of pride in our students and their bravery in taking on this challenge \u2014 not only to share their research story but also develop and gain confidence as a presenter and advocate for their work. I\u2019m really looking forward to seeing the finals in March.\u201d<\/p>\n

The top five presenters demonstrated all of the key components of the judging criteria, including communication, comprehension and engagement.<\/p>\n

Karin Perry, Vitae Program Co-ordinator and 3MT organizer, said she is always impressed with the passion presenters bring to the table, especially given the intense nature of the competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach presenter has distilled very specialized and complex concepts into concise phrases and perhaps a meaningful gesture,\u201d Perry said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have rehearsed and tested a selection of words or gestures with friends. Watching pauses, vocal tone and aware of their own body presence. There is a lot going on there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The overall winner of Brock\u2019s contest will receive $500 and the runner-up $250. Brock\u2019s winner also will advance to the provincial 3MT competition hosted by the University of Waterloo on Wednesday, April 12.<\/p>\n

The top finishers in Ontario move on to a 2017 national competition that is sponsored by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies and held later in the spring.<\/p>\n

Brock\u2019s Three Minute Thesis Challenge finalists<\/strong><\/p>\n