‘Three Minute Thesis’ event showcases graduate students’ research

Andrew Mitchell, a graduate student majoring in pharmaceutical sciences at The Ohio State University’s College of Pharmacy, is working to bring greater awareness to his potentially life-saving cancer research. He moved closer to that goal by winning the Graduate School’s fifth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) university-wide competition.   

The event, held Wednesday at the Ohio Union, challenges graduate students to present their research in just three minutes. This year’s event showcased the work of students across various disciplines.

By participating in 3MT, graduate students further develop their communication skills and gain experience in presenting complex research in an accessible manner, said Mary Stromberger, dean of the Graduate School.

“It’s a way for students to practice telling the story of their research in a way that’s easy for others to understand and to share how their research will benefit society,” she said. “The other interesting thing about it is in participating in this research, these students are developing networks and communities with each other, and that helps to develop this really strong, vibrant research culture here at Ohio State.”

3MT participants presented their research to an audience of faculty, students and staff gathered in the Union’s Senate Chamber Room. Stromberger moderated a question-and-answer session with the participants and the members of the committee who selected the winners.

Mitchell won first place and a $500 prize for his presentation “Molecular Glue: A New Way to Stick it to Cancer.” His research explores innovative methods to target and treat cancer cells, offering advancements in oncology.

In his presentation, Mitchell used a pop-culture symbol that is familiar to many — the logo for the Pac-Man video game — to explain his hypotheses.

“I use an analogy to Pac-Man to explain how current therapeutics — which are inhibitors — work, how the molecule that they target can develop mutations that prevent the inhibitors from working,” he said. “And then how my drug, a molecular glue, overcomes those mutations and overcomes drug resistance to offer patients that same therapeutic value that these other drugs no longer have.”

Mitchell said one of his mentors, Kerry Rogers, an associate professor of hematology in the College of Medicine, reviewed his presentation before the competition and gave him feedback on how to bring out the most salient points.

“I think this skillset to be able to make your research accessible to more people is extremely important,” Rogers said, “particularly in this field where people living with blood cancers really do want to know about the research, especially with the availability of the internet and other communication methods.”

Second place and a $400 prize went to Xinyue Fan, a graduate research associate in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, for her presentation “Natural Blue? Yes.” Fan’s work investigates natural alternatives to synthetic dyes, aiming to create sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions for the food industry.

The competition also included the presentation of the People’s Choice award, in which attendees voted for their favorite presentations. The award and a $500 prize were given to Dina Eissa, a chemical physics major in the College of Arts and Sciences, for her presentation “Molecular Selfies: How Electrons Snapshot the Quantum World.” Eissa’s research provides insights into the behavior of electrons, contributing to the broader understanding of quantum mechanics.

The event was organized and moderated by Karin Jordan, assistant dean of graduate development and engagement in the Graduate School. The selection committee comprised Isis Bara Costa, an assistant professor in Contemporary Brazilian Cultural and Literary Studies; Ellen Patricia, the director of the Office of Responsible Research Practices; and Joseph Walter, a human resource manager at the Nestlé Quality Assurance Center.

Mitchell will go on to represent Ohio State at the regional thesis competition at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools conference this spring.