The 2014 edition of SJWRI3MT, the Institute's three-minute thesis competition for PhD students, was held at lunchtime on Friday May 30. The SJWRI3MT challenges participants to present their research in an engaging manner able to be understood by an intelligent audience with no background in the research area. This competition develops our PhD students' research communication skills, as well as giving them the chance to tell the Institute at large a little more about their project.
Entrants are required to present for no longer than three minutes, with the support of one slide, on the topic of their thesis. The presentation should describe the research, but should also communicate enthusiasm and the significance of the work. Presentations were judged on the following criteria:
1. Communication style
Was the thesis topic and its significance communicated in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience?
2. Comprehension
Did the presentation help the audience understand the research?
3. Engagement
Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
Six PhD students entered this year, on topics ranging right across the spectrum of SJWRI research, from the isolation of stem cells from gum tissue, to the depictions of forensic science in the crime fiction of NZ writer Ngaio Marsh. All presentations were of an excellent standard and communicated their subject matter well. This year's winner of the $500 first price was Dara Shearer, of the Dental Epidemiology and Public Health programme, for her presentation 'Trajectories of Glycated Haemoglobin and Periodontitis - a.k.a. “Gums and Glucose”.'
Thanks to all who entered.