Florida Atlantic University has announced the winners of the ninth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition hosted by the Graduate College.

Florida Atlantic University has announced the winners of the ninth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition hosted by the Graduate College.

The goal of the 3MT® competition is for FAU graduate students from all colleges and departments to cultivate the ability to explain their research, including both breadth and significance, in a language appropriate to an audience containing both specialists and non-specialists, in three minutes or less. The 3MT® competition provides FAU graduate students with the opportunity to sharpen their professional development skills, reignite their passion for discovery, promote preeminent research and foster community.

“The 3MT® competition continues to showcase the impressive talent and dedication of FAU’s graduate students,” said Robert Stackman Jr., Ph.D., dean of the Graduate College and associate vice president of academic affairs at the John D. MacArthur Campus, Jupiter. “Each year, I am amazed by the depth and impact of the research being conducted across disciplines. Our students demonstrate an extraordinary ability to translate complex findings into compelling, accessible narratives. Their presentations not only highlight their academic excellence, but also their commitment to advancing knowledge that benefits society.”

A total of 35 graduate students pitched their research projects to a live audience, with 12 awarded scholarship prizes throughout the entirety of the competition. A panel of distinguished FAU community members determined the 2025 first-place, runner-up and second runner-up championship winners. More than 350 online votes submitted by public viewers named the People’s Choice Award winner.

The championship winners of the 2025 3MT® competition are:

FAU championship winner and recipient of the Dr. Eric H. Shaw 3MT® Championship Endowment Award

Title: “Shrinking the Lab: HIV Testing Anytime, Anywhere”

Presented by: Omair Faqah, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Faculty advisor: Waseem Asghar, Ph.D.

FAU 3MT® first runner-up

Title: “Scanning the Seas: Micro-CT Analysis of Cetacean Vertebral Bone”

Presented by: Jamie Knaub, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Faculty advisor: Marianne Porter, Ph.D.

FAU 3MT® second runner-up

Title: “Begging the Question: Born Loud, Stay Loud?”

Presented by: Ray Pressman, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Faculty advisor: Rindy Anderson, Ph.D.

FAU People’s Choice Award winner

Title: “When Two Become One: Investigating the Behavior of Hybrid African Monkeys”

Presented by: Kayla Ahlness, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science

Faculty advisor: Kate Detwiler, Ph.D.

Faqah, the championship winner and recipient of the $2,500 Dr. Eric H. Shaw 3MT® Championship Award, will represent FAU at the Conference of Florida Graduate Schools on April 8 at the Boca Raton campus.

FAU 3MT® is a venue for graduate students from various disciplines to interact with one another and discuss their research and its implications. The competition provides an opportunity for undergraduates, alumni, industry partners, various on-campus departments, institutions and the community to gain exposure to high-level, cutting-edge research at FAU.

For more information on FAU’s 3MT® competition, click here.

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