Article by Autumn Siebold

Three minutes. That’s how long Olga Shishkov has to share years-worth of research when she competes in the final round of Georgia Tech’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition on Nov. 14. 

“So far, this competition feels more like I’m being asked to give a performance than give a presentation — which has been a fascinating experience,” said Olga Shishkov, a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering whose presentation focuses on how fly larvae eat and how to raise them. “I usually only have a vague idea of what I am going to say in my presentations. But, in a three minute talk, I have to plan my words much more carefully.”

Stopping the spread of cancer. Human travel to Mars. Demystifying DNA replication. This year’s 3MT finalists are doing research on these and other topics that could one day influence policy and change the way you live your life. And on Nov. 14 from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Global Learning Center Amphitheater, all members of the campus community are invited to be some of the first to hear about this cutting-edge research.

During the event, the finalists — who are all graduate students at Tech, representing colleges across campus — will be challenged to talk about their research in three minutes in an engaging way that anyone can understand. The winners will receive research travel grants ranging from $500-2,000. (A reception and awards ceremony open to all attendees will immediately follow the competition.)

“I love the 3MT event because we get to support students as they develop their ability to effectively present their research with everyone from policy makers to potential employers to auditoriums full of people,” said Bonnie Ferri, vice provost for Graduate Education and Faculty Development. “I’ve never learned so much about so many interesting topics in such a short amount of time. In seeing these students, you’ll be so proud of Georgia Tech and the work our graduate students are doing.”

The finalists were selected after four preliminary rounds that were held in October and include the following Ph.D. students (and one master's student who will be doing an exhibition presentation but is not actually competiting in the final round):

• Anmol Soni, Public Policy
  Carrots or Sticks: What Makes People Buy More Electric Cars?
• Anna Liu, Biomedical Engineering
  A Cheap Little Chip: Simplifying Cell Therapies
• Archana Ghodeswar, Economics
  The Economics of Industrial Ecology: ‘Alert today, Alive tomorrow’
• Brian Eberle, Mechanical Engineering
  Falling with Style: Automation and Pilot Cueing During Autorotation Maneuvers
• Chiamaka Obianyor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  Demystifying DNA Replication
• Darshan Sarojini, Aerospace Engineering
  Analysis and Optimization of Complex 3-D Structures through Dimensional Reduction to 1-D Models
• Foroozan Karimzadeh, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  Magic Behind an Efficient DNN Hardware Accelerator for Mobile Applications
• Jeongwon Kim, Mechanical Engineering
  Suppression of Combustion Instability
• Jyotsna Ramachandran, Materials Science and Engineering
  Hop on a SpongeBob Car: Journey Towards Improving Sustainable Transportation
• Katherine Birmingham, Bioengineering
  Stopping Cancer in Its Tracks: Preventing the Spread of Cancer
• Lin Xin, Physics
  Beat the Quantum Limit
• Mohammad Hamza Kirmanim, Materials Science and Engineering
  Turning Dreams to Reality: Human Travel to Mars, Overcoming Materials Limitation through Development of Ultra-High Strength and Lightweight Carbon-Nanotube Based Plastics
• Olga Shishkov, Mechanical Engineering
  Feeding, Squishing, and Cooling Maggots
• Paola Zanella, Aerospace Engineering
  Mitigation of Helicopter Accidents Related to Loss of Tail Rotor Effectiveness
• Pedro J. Arias-Monje, Materials Science and Engineering
  Plastic Fibers, Carbon Nanotubes and Spider-Man
• Po-Wei Huang, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (Master's Student - Exhibition)
  A Sustainable Method to Alleviate the Global Thirst of Lithium
• Smruthi Karthikeyan, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Microbes, Oil Spills and Beyond: Using Microbes to Predict the Impact of Oil Spills
• Suttipong Suttapitugsakul, Chemistry and Biochemistry
  Not Just a Sugar Coating! Understanding the Language of Cells through Their Sweet Surface
• Udaya Lakshmi, Human-Computer Interaction
  Medical Making: Nurse Inclusion in Point of Care Innovation

For more information about the 3MT Competition, visit grad.gatech.edu/3mt.