Thesis-based graduate students were challenged to present their scholarly and creative activity and its wider impact in three minutes or less during the 2024 Eastern Regional Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition in Quebec City, and StFX’s Mackenzie LeVernois was more than up for the challenge of presenting complex research in a compelling and accessible way.
Ms. LeVernois, an earth and environmental sciences master’s student, placed third in the event hosted by the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) on June 7th.
Her presentation highlighted her research work, “Regional Methane Emissions: Not your Grandma’s secret recipe,” conducted under the supervision of Dr. Dave Risk.
“It was wonderful to compete with students who were all so enthusiastic about their research. It was daunting at first, going up against PhD students from bigger universities who have coaching staff and semester-long 3MT preparation courses. We all quickly became friends though, laughing and connecting over our shared nervousness. I’m proud to have represented StFX on the regional stage, showing that even small schools can pack a big research punch,” says Ms. LeVernois. “I’d like to thank Dr. Marcia English for organizing our institution’s 3MT and helping me prepare for the regional competition. It was an honour to place third as StFX’s first-ever regional competitor and I can’t wait to see our 3MT participation bloom.”
Ms. LeVernois had won both first place and the people’s choice award when StFX hosted its first Three Minute Thesis event on March 19th. As the winner of the StFX competition, she advanced to the eastern regionals.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
“The 3MT competition is an opportunity for graduate students to showcase and develop confidence in their research communication skills and highlight how their research is making an impact” says StFX human nutrition professor and Canada Research Chair, Dr. Marcia English who championed and organized the event at StFX. “The competition at StFX would not have been a success without the participation of the graduate students, the judges, and Dr. Richard Isnor, Associate Vice-President, Research, Graduate and Professional Studies, and Jacqueline Beaton from the Research Office.”
Dr. English says the competition started in 2008 at the University of Queensland and is now held in many countries. Participating students are challenged to consolidate their ideas and explain their research discoveries to a general audience. Using a single slide students have three minutes to explain to a panel of judges how and why their research is important, innovative, and exciting.
Learning to communicate research succinctly to a broad audience is an important academic skill that can be developed when students participate in the competition. The event also provides a unique and engaging platform to learn about the research that other graduate students at the university are involved in.
Active master’s and PhD candidates were eligible to participate in the event. Presentations had to be based on the primary research the student has conducted in their graduate program.
