• Charles Sturt University PhD research students compete in the 3MT communication competition held in more than 900 universities and 85+ countries

Charles Sturt University PhD research students tested their communication skills in the annual Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) international competition.

The 3MT is held in over 900 universities in more than 85 countries worldwide to succinctly explain the premise of their research in just three minutes and using only one graphic image.

The winner of the 3MT Final @ Charles Sturt will compete against other university PhD students at the Asia-Pacific regional competition hosted annually by the University of Queensland.

Manager of Graduate Research in the Charles Sturt Office of Research Services and Graduate Studies Mr Paul Shaw said the idea of the competition is to give postgraduate students experience with presenting their research ideas succinctly in public to a lay audience.

“Each year thousands of PhD candidates from across the world come together to explain to a non-expert audience in plain language the premise of their research in just three minutes and using only one PowerPoint slide,” Mr Shaw said.

“The 3MT competition helps students to refine, define and articulate their research and its value clearly and succinctly to a lay audience.

“It also helps them to build confidence as a presenter to engage an audience, and it’s an amazing opportunity to bring attention to their research and make it known to a wider audience.”

Mr Shaw said 14 PhD candidates from all Charles Sturt faculties competed this year in two heats held in late May (Monday 22 and Thursday 25) and seven competed in the finals. The finalists and their topics included:

• Dyanah Joy H. Amorio, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences; topic – ‘Fungal pathogens within vines: friends or foes?’

• Ignatius Chida, School of Social Work and Arts; topic – ‘Waiting for home-based care support services: informal and formal care experiences of rural older Australians and their caregivers’

• John Moy, Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security; topic – ‘Emergency Services volunteering: a new sustainable model’

• Olivia Brunton, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences; topic – ‘The root of the problem: phosphorus fertiliser use efficiency’

• Iswandi Iswandi, Centre for Customs and Excise Studies; topic – ‘Towards an enhanced regulatory and enforcement framework to combat counterfeit trade in Indonesia’

• Madeleine (Maddy) Ray, School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences; topic – ‘Flying without wings: parasites of Australian native ducks’

• Rohina Alim, School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences; topic – ‘Anticancer efficacy of redox-active metal complexes with expanded coordination sites’

At the end of each finalist’s presentation, they were questioned by the panel of three judges or the audience;

• Associate Professor Peter Thew, Principal Engineer-in-Residence in Charles Sturt Engineering
• Ms Julie Fairley, Client Innovation Leader Bathurst, IBM Australia
• Ms Jessica Wilkinson, Senior Investment Manager Precincts, Department of Regional NSW

The judges then deliberated to determine the winner and runner-up. While the judges deliberated, Professor Jason White (Director of Research Services and Dean of Graduate Studies) moderated a research panel discussion by Associate Professor Matthew Winslade (Acting Head of School, School of Education), Professor Ganna Pogrebna (Charles Sturt Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Futures Institute) and Professor Sarah O’Shea (Dean of Graduate Research).

The judges announced that Ms Olivia Brunton (pictured on right of Charles Sturt Vice-Chancellor Professor Renée Leon, centre) was the winner of the Charles Sturt 3MT Final. Ms Maddy Ray (on left) was runner-up.

Ms Brunton will represent Charles Sturt University at the Asia-Pacific 3MT semi-finals in September and the finals in October which will again be a virtual event.

The 3MT Final was on Wednesday 19 July at the Ponton Theatre at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.