This year 135 University of British Columbia (UBC) graduate students took up the challenge of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) with the aim of effectively expressing their thesis research as a three-minute speech for a general audience. While each and every one of them deserves a round of applause, today at the Graduate Student Center ballroom, eight finalists competed in front of an enthusiastic crowd for the competition’s top honours. Check back next week for more event photos and 3MT videos of the finalist presentations.
Final Results:
1st Place
Natalie Sopinka, Forestry
Transgenerational Effects of Stress in Sockeye Salmon
Supervisor: Dr. Scott G. Hinch
Runner-up
Fergil Mills, Neuroscience
Too much β-catenin: Sticky Synapses, Sticky Memories
Supervisor: Dr. Shernaz Bamji
People’s Choice Award
Jason Tan De Bibiana, School of Population and Public Health
What is the Impact of Housing First on Emergency Department Use among Homeless Individuals with Mental Illness in Vancouver?
Supervisor: Dr. Jim Frankish
Rounding out the field of truly exceptional finalists, in order of presentation:
Andrew Pilliar, Law
Improving Access to Justice and Lawyer Satisfaction through Market Modification
Supervisor: Dr. Mary Liston
Carmen Emmel, Atmospheric Science
Mountain Pine Beetle and Climate – What should we do?
Supervisor: Dr. Andreas Christen
Paul Slangen, Civil Engineering
Assessing the health of the W.A.C. Bennett dam
Supervisor: Drs. R.J. Fannin and Z.K.E. Shawwash
Baillie Redfern, Genome Science and Technology
Engineering the perfect perfume
Supervisor: Dr. Joerg Bohlmann
Samantha Grist, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Mimicking the Body for Drug Testing
Supervisors: Dr. Karen C. Cheung and Dr. Lukas Chrostowski
Our sincere thanks to today’s MC, journalist and Adjunct Professor, UBC School of Journalism, Kathryn Gretsinger and our esteemed panel of judges
Aprodicio Laquian
Professor Emeritus, Community and Regional Planning
Board Chair and President, University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA)
Alice Mui
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery
Andy Torr
Communications & Research Officer
Office of the Vice President Research & International
Dan G. Bock
PhD candidate, Botany
A total of 28 students presented in the two semi-finals heats which took place Wednesday February 29, 2012. The field of eight finalists were the top four finishers in the semi-finals.
First place, semi-final 1:
Paul Slangen, Civil Engineering
Assessing the health of the W.A.C. Bennett dam
Supervisor: Drs. R.J. Fannin and Z.K.E. Shawwash
Runner up, semi-final 1
Fergil Mills, Neuroscience
Too much β-catenin: Sticky Synapses, Sticky Memories
Supervisor: Dr. Shernaz Bamji
Honourable mention, semi-final 1
Baillie Redfern, Genome Science and Technology
Engineering the perfect perfume
Supervisor: Dr. Joerg Bohlmann
Honourable mention, semi-final 1
Andrew Pilliar, Law
Improving Access to Justice and Lawyer Satisfaction through Market Modification
Supervisor: Dr. Mary Liston
First place, semi-final 2:
Samantha Grist, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Mimicking the Body for Drug Testing
Supervisors: Dr. Karen C. Cheung and Dr. Lukas Chrostowski
Runner up, semi-final 2
Jason Tan De Bibiana, School of Population and Public Health
What is the Impact of Housing First on Emergency Department Use among Homeless Individuals with Mental Illness in Vancouver?
Supervisor: Dr. Jim Frankish
Honourable mention, semi-final 2
Carmen Emmel, Atmospheric Science
Mountain Pine Beetle and Climate – What should we do?
Supervisor: Dr. Andreas Christen
Honourable mention, semi-final 2
Natalie Sopinka, Forestry
Transgenerational Effects of Stress in Sockeye Salmon
Supervisor: Dr. Scott G. Hinch
People’s choice award:
Semi-final 1
Alden Blair, School of Population and Public Health
Socio-cultural drivers of HIV-associated vulnerabilities for conflict-affected male youth populations in IDP and refugee camp settings.
Supervisor: Dr. Patricia Spittal
Semi-final 2
Carmen Emmel, Atmospheric Science
Mountain Pine Beetle and Climate – What should we do?
Supervisor: Dr. Andreas Christen
The semi-final events were very kindly hosted by Rhodri Windsor-Liscombe. Associate Dean, Scholarships & Awards, Faculty of Graduate Studies & Professor, Department of Art History
Our sincere thanks to the semi-final judging panels:
Semi-Final 1
Dr. Jacqueline Quandt
Assistant Professor, Dept of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Ann L Campbell
Manager of Communications, UBC Sustainability Initiative
Andrew Ming-Lum
PhD candidate, Dept. of Experimental Medicine,3MT 2011@UBC First place
Semi-Final 2
Philippe Kruchten
Professor, NSERC Chair in Design Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Sara Muir-Owen
UBC Program Coordinator, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions
Carolina Chanis
MSc Candidate, Forestry, 3MT 2011 3MT semi-finalist
We kindly acknowledge the generous support of our event sponsors: StemCell Technologies, UTown@UBC, the University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA), the UBC Office of the Vice President Research & International, the UBC Graduate Student Society, UBC Food Services and the UBC Bookstore.
