Three Minute Thesis highlights

Three Minute Thesis 2025 Winners

Undergraduate:

First place: Mason Ferbert (Biomedical Engineering)
Electrospun Nanofibers for Controlled Drug Delivery of Antioxidants Towards Treatment of Myocardial Infarction

Second place: Maxime Larsen (Biomedical Engineering)
Programming and Assembly of a Robotic Hand

Third place: Zoe Ayn DiZenzo (Psychology)
The Aha! Experience: A Journey Through Epiphany and Heart Rate Rhythms

People’s Choice: Kaitlyn Nguyen (Political Science)
The Power of Advocacy: How Victims’ Rights Movements Shape Policy

Graduate:

First place: Priscila de Paula Silva (Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering Option)
Resilience of Cyberattack Classifiers

Second place: Trinity Cozby (Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology)
Characterization of Exosomes Derived From SKOV-3 Ovarian Cancer Cells

Third place and People’s Choice: Abdurrahman ElZafarany (Integrative Biology)
How does the "brain-eating amoeba" crawl into the brain?

Three Minute Thesis Highlights past years

2024 Three Minute Thesis Winners

Undergraduate
First Place and People’s Choice Award: Andrew Medeiros (Bioengineering) for “Beyond Biomarkers: Exosomal Insights into Cancer Diagnosis”.

Second Place: Joshua Bernadin (Chemistry) for “The Inhibition Effects of Blueberries on α-Glucosidase”.

Third Place: Maggie McCafferty (Bioengineering) for “Impact of Vitamin C on Human Cortical Bone Mechanical Properties”.

Graduate
First Place: Nandini Lokesh Reddy (Computer Science) for “Chute-AI: Fish Length & Species Detection”.

Second Place: Gabriella Thomas (Marine Biology) for “Testing Electronic Microprocessor-Based Bycatch Reduction Devices to Reduce Shark Catch”.

Third Place: Jillian Wilson (Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology) for “Electroporation as a Tool for the Genetic Manipulation of Cellulophaga lytica (C. lytica)”.

People’s Choice Award: Mehran Rakhshan (Engineering & Applied Science) for “3D Printed Metallic Structural Elements with Architected Micro-Structure”.

2023 Three Minute Thesis Winners

Undergraduate Winners

People’s Choice: Jillian Wilson, Bioengineering. Advisor: Professor Quingo Fan. “Gelatin Microsponges for Drug Delivery Applications.”

First Place: Mckenzie Ferrari, Physics. Advisor: Professor Robert Fisher. “Burning Up: Developing a New Thermometer for Stars.”

Second Place: Mariana Hebert, Bioengineering. Advisor: Professor Tracie Ferreira. “The Effect of Microplastics on Zebrafish and Possible Risks for Human Development.”

Third Place: Jillian Wilson, Bioengineering. Advisor: Professor Quingo Fan. “Gelatin Microsponges for Drug Delivery Applications.”

Graduate Winners

People’s Choice: Ramina Behzad, Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology. Advisor: Professor Lamya Karim. “Association of Physical Activity, Bone Fracture and Diabetes.”

First Place: Ramina Behzad, Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology. Advisor: Professor Lamya Karim. “Association of Physical Activity, Bone Fracture and Diabetes.”

Second Place: Dipshika Das, Engineering and Applied Science. Advisor: Professor Sukalyan Sengupta. “Going Gentle on Spent Li-Ion Battery Recycling.”

Third Place: Sarah Dulac, Mechanical Engineering. Advisor: Professor Banafsheh Seyed-Aghazadeh. “Navy Seals and Harbor Seals: One and the Same, Guards of the Water.”

2022 Undergraduate Three Minute Thesis Winners

First Place
Jack Sullivan, Physics
Cosmic Supernova Investigations
Mentor: Professor Robert Fisher

Second place
Ian Sullivan, Bioengineering
Effects of Physical and Mechanical Properties of ECM on Activation of Host Immune System for the Purpose of Angiogenesis

Third place winner and People’s Choice winner
Olivia Aguiar, Biology
Impact of Risk-Induced Trait Changes on Survival During Predation
Advisor: Professor Michael Sheriff

2017 Undergraduate Three Minute Thesis Competition

First Place and and People’s Choice winner
Deborah Dele-Oni, Biology
Dissecting Comorbidity between Parkinson’s Disease and Melanoma in a Cell Culture Model
Internship Mentors: Dr. Anindita Bose and Dr. Gregory Petsko, Weill Cornell Medicine

Second place winner
Evangeline Kuzmech, Crime and Justice Studies
Evaluating the Effects of Online Sexual Assault Prevention: "Not Anymore," Bystander Intervention Training and UMass Dartmouth
Advisor: Professor Heather Turcotte

Third place winner
Madison Bailey-Schofield, English
British; Born, not Raised?
Advisor: Professor Anupama Arora

2016 Undergraduate Three Minute Thesis Competition

First place and People's Choice winner
Lindsey Ly
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in hemA confers phototoxicity resistance to visible light for Citrobacter rodentium
Advisor: Professor Vanni Bucci

Undergraduate Second Place winner (tie)
Daniel J. Durning
Expression of GCNT3 in anemonefish mucosal coat producing cells  
Advisor: Professor Robert Drew 

Molly Hillis
The Persistence of "Othering:" Disability Studies as a Categorical Component of Literary Theory
Advisor: Professor Laurel Hankins

2015 Undergraduate Three Minute Thesis Competition

On April 30, six finalist competed in the third annual Three-Minute Thesis Competition. Four students took home the top prizes.

$1,000 First place winner
Shravani Kakarla
Bio-production of ethanol via co-culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Ralstonia eutropha
Advisor: Christopher Brigham

$500 Second place winner
Nicholas Phillips
Growing bacteria to make bio-plastics
Advisor: Christopher Brigham

$250 Third place winner
Kiley Alpaugh
The impact of therapy dogs on college students’ stress levels
Advisor: Elizabeth Richardson

$250 Audience Choice winner
Johanna Uribe
In vitro model of heart disease

‌2014 Undergraduate Three Minute Thesis Competition

Anna-Rae LeClaire

Healthcare Professionals' Perceptions of Older Adult Care in Emergency Settings

Advisors: Andrew Revell & Kathleen Elliot
$1000 First Place Winner

Dana Weinberg

A Solar Solution

$500 Second Place Winner

Brittney David

The Role of Language in Emotion Perception

Advisor: Jennifer Fugate
$250 Third Place Winner

Nicholas Macedo

Zebrafish as a Model for Studying Regenerative Therapeutics

Advisor: Tiffany Ferriera
$250 Third Place Winner
$250 Audience Choice Winner

2013 Undergraduate Three Minute Thesis Competition

On April 25, students presented their research topics and vied for prize money in the second annual Undergraduate 3-Minute Thesis Competition. Winners provided compelling and detailed descriptions and explanations of their undergraduate research within the 3-minute allotment.