The Faculty of Graduate Studies will be holding
the University of Windsor Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition for graduate students
on April 1st, 2026 in Alumni Auditorium, C.A.W. Student Centre
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
3MT® is a skills development activity which challenges graduate students to present their research and its wider impact to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes using only one slide.
- Internationally recognized in 53 countries around the world
- 20+ participating Canadian Universities
- The UWindsor winner will go on to represent the University of Windsor at the Ontario provincial final hosted by Brock University on May 6, 2026 (all travel expenses covered).
- All competition events open to the public.
Register by February 27th, 2026 - instructions below under "How to participate":
1st Place: $1000 cash and will represent the University of Windsor at the Ontario provincial final hosted by Brock University on May 6, 2026 (all travel expenses covered).
2nd Place:
- Prize: $500 cash
3rd Place:
- Prize: $250 cash
Eligibility for UWindsor competition:
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Must be a current doctoral or master’s student, in good standing, registered in a dissertation, thesis or major research paper course.
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Graduate students at any stage of their program are eligible to participate.
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Presentations must be based on the student’s own primary research or creative activity.
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Must be available to present in person on April 1, 2026, and be available to attend the provincial competition on May 6, 2026 hosted by Brock University in St. Catharines, ON (all travel expenses covered).
If you require accommodation please email gradst@uwindsor.ca.
Complete the Registration form and submit via email to gradst@uwindsor.ca no later than February 27, 2026 (registration form to be posted shortly on this webpage).
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The UWindsor competition will be held on April 1st 2026 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Alumni Auditorium, C.A.W. Student Centre
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The UWindsor winner will go on to represent the University of Windsor at the Ontario provincial final hosted by Brock University on May 6, 2026 (all travel expenses covered).
Competition events are open to the public.
Training dates for registered contestants: It is strongly recommended that UWindsor contestants attend the Information and coaching session on Tuesday March 3rd from 1:00PM – 2:30PM OR Friday March 6th from 9:30AM-11:00AM (location TBD).
- All presentations are limited to three (3) minutes; however, exceptions may be made for accessibility accommodations.
- Presentations should be spoken word and regular prose. Poems, slam poetry, raps, songs, or performances are not permitted. Minor elements of the above may be incorporated should it be the topic of research.
- Minor creative or cultural elements (e.g., gesture, posture, attire, or props) may be integrated when intrinsic to the research, provided they do not distract from clarity or accessibility.
- The presentation should be based on the participant’s own research or research-creation work and should be understandable to a general audience.
- Presenters must use language appropriate for a non-specialist audience, avoiding disciplinary jargon or unexplained acronyms.
- Physical interactions with the audience are not permitted.
- Speaker notes on stage are not allowed; however, exceptions may be made for accessibility accommodations.
- The presentation commences when the competitor begins speaking or moving.
If your research includes confidential or culturally sensitive material, please contact the organizers at gradst@uwindsor.ca.
View also sections titled "Props and costumes" and "Ethical and Cultural Considerations".
To preserve the focus on oral communication of the competition, the following guidelines apply to the use of props or presentation materials. Limited accommodations may be considered when related to accessibility, alternative research formats, or culturally grounded approaches to research communication:
- Physical objects, costumes, instruments, or laboratory equipment are not permitted.
- Any cultural attire worn for reasons of identity or tradition is permitted.
- All presentation materials must comply with the host institution’s health and safety regulations and should not pose a risk to the presenter or audience.
If you require accommodation please email gradst@uwindsor.ca.
Presenters must ensure that the information shared is suitable for public dissemination and does not breach confidentiality, contractual, or cultural protocols.
Participants presenting work involving Indigenous knowledge, community-based research, or culturally sensitive materials are encouraged to consult with their supervisor or community partners prior to participation.
Participants should seek guidance from their supervisor for ethical storytelling and representation of research participants or communities.
Communication
- Did the graduate student use non-verbal communication (i.e. voice modulation, body language) effectively?
- Did the graduate student use language that was jargon-free, or if jargon was used, was it accompanied with an explanation to make terms understandable to a non-expert audience?
- Did the presentation follow a logical sequence?
- Did the graduate student use their three minutes effectively? Did they elaborate too long on a particular aspect? Did the presentation feel rushed or incomplete?
Comprehension
- Did the presentation help you to understand the methodology behind the scholarly research being undertaken?
- Did the graduate student clearly outline the nature and purpose of their research?
- Did the graduate student clearly indicate the fascinating or compelling aspects of their research?
- Did the graduate student provide an understanding of the background and significance to the research question being addressed?
- Did the graduate student clearly describe the impact and/or results of the research, including any conclusions and outcomes, or further steps to be taken?
Engagement
- Was the presentation engaging? Did the graduate student use creative language and storytelling to capture and maintain the audience's attention?
- Did the graduate student convey enthusiasm for their work?
- Was the graduate student careful not to trivialise or generalise their research?
- Did the PowerPoint slide create intrigue without dividing your attention – was it clear, legible, and concise?
- Did the presentation inspire you to want to know more?
Past University of Windsor 3MT® Competitions (2013 to 2024) - results and videos:
Watch the videorecording of presentations at the 2025 University of Windsor Competition held on April 1, 2025
UWindsor 3MT® in the news: read the features in the UWindsor DailyNews and CTV News
2025 University of Windsor Competition Results:
1st Place: Dora Strelkova, Mechanical, Automotive & Materials Engineering
" You wouldn't want a pie filled with holes, so why should we accept 3D printed parts with them?"
1st Place Prize: $1000 cash and will represent the University of Windsor at the provincial final to be held at the University of Toronto campus on May 14, 2025
2nd Place: Piumi Kulatunga, Chemistry and Biochemistry
"Detect, Attack and Degrade: New Era in Brain Cancer Treatment"
2nd Place prize: $500 cash
3rd Place: Abo-Bakr Emara, Physics
"Unlocking the Universe’s Secrets: Tackling Radon in Rare Decay Searches"
3rd Place prize: $250 cash
UWindsor 3MT® 2025 contestants and judges
UWindsor competition: watch the videorecording of the University of Windsor 3MT® Competition Final held on April 9, 2024.
Provincial FINAL: watch the recording from the Ontario 3MT Provincial final on May 8, 2024
2024 University of Windsor Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition results:
1st Place: Samra Khan
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
"Sugar-coated cancer vaccines for 'sweet' adaptive oncoimmunology"
- Prize: $1000 cash and represented the University of Windsor at the provincial final at Lakehead University on May 8, 2024.
2nd Place: Carly Demers
Department of Integrative Biology
"Bug-Eat-Bug World: Assessing two Canadian Dicyphus species (Hemiptera: Miridae) for their potential as novel greenhouse biological control agents"
- Prize: $500 cash
3rd Place: Karla Alnajm
Department of Biomedical Sciences
"Unmasking Breast Cancer: How Removing One Protein Boosts Immunity"
- Prize: $250 cash
1st Place: Grace Bastien, Biological Sciences: “Bird predation and 'the grapes of wrath'“
Prize: $1000 cash and represent the University of Windsor at the Ontario 3MT® virtual competition final in November 2020.
2nd Place: Umama Jutt, English Language and Literature: “This pot and kettle are white”
Prize: $500 cash
3rd Place: Victoria Heath, Biological Sciences: “The Solution to sea lamprey: Sound”
Prize: $250 cash
Watch all 3MT® Finalist presentations:
(in alphabetical order)
1. Sami Al-Terkawi Hasib, Electrical and Computer Engineering: “Do outlets dream of electric ants?”
2. Grace Bastien, Biological Sciences: “Bird predation and 'the grapes of wrath' “
3. Chaoyang Chu, Civil and Environmental Engineering: “Bridge to the future: how computer vision fills in the gaps”
4. Nehal Faldu, Mechanical, Automotive & Materials Engineering: ”Nanotechnology, where Small is Big”
5. Nupur Gupta, Mechanical, Automotive & Materials Engineering: "A breath of fresh air"
6. Victoria Heath, Biological Sciences: “The Solution to sea lamprey: Sound”
7. Umama Jutt, English Language and Literature: “This pot and kettle are white”
8. Mostafa Moussa, Mechanical, Automotive & Materials Engineering: “When needed as needed”
9. Jay Nagarajan, Electrical and Computer Engineering:" Piezoelectric Micromachined Sensors"
10. Kathyani Parasram, Biological Sciences: “The life and time of Drosophila melanogaster”
11. Maryam Shafiei Alavijeh, Mechanical, Automotive & Materials Engineering: “Better safe than sorry, Our goal: Canada's gas pipelines with zero defects!”
12. Anushray Singh, School of Creative Arts (MFA Film & Media Arts): “I am South Asian as well as a Western resident....but at times neither of them”
The University of Windsor Three-minute Thesis Competition 3MT® was held on March 25, 2019.
Results:
1st Place: Katrina Switzer
Doctoral student, Biological Sciences
“Don't call me mellow yellow: stress and colour in a tropical toad”
Prize: $1000 cash and represent the University of Windsor at the Ontario 3MT® competition final at McMaster University on Wednesday, April 17, 2019.
2nd Place: Kiirsti Owen
Master’s student, Biological Sciences
“How do birds respond when we regrow the forests around them?”
Prize: $500 cash
3rd Place: John Freer
Doctoral student, Education
“Removing another brick from the wall: deconstructing attitudinal barriers to inclusive education”
Prize: $250 cash
List of all presentations:
Presenter #1: Danilo Corral-De-Witt
Doctoral student, Electrical and Computer Engineering
“Smart spectrum access for open wireless services”
Presenter #2: Kaitav Mehta
Master’s student, Computer Science
“This creepy person doesn't exist”
Presenter #3: John Freer
Doctoral student, Education
“Removing another brick from the wall: deconstructing attitudinal barriers to inclusive education”
Presenter #4: Jessica Chu
Master’s student, Nursing
“E-Professionalism in Nursing students”
Presenter #5: Zarreen Naowal Reza
Master’s student, Computer Science
“Weld quality control using artificial intelligence”
Presenter #6: Israt Jahan
Master’s student, Civil and Environmental Engineering
“Modeling bacterial loading into Lake St. Clair: keep swimmers safe”
Presenter #7: Ramya Ravichandran
Master’s student, Computer Science
“Every problem has a solution - but which one?”
Presenter #8: Tanja Samardzic
Master’s student, Psychology
“#ProTip: don’t talk”
Presenter #9: Baturh Yarkwan
Doctoral student, Chemistry and Biochemistry
“Glorifying the outcast: soybean waste used in treating water pollution”
Presenter #10: Xiaoyang Zhang
Master’s student, Civil and Environmental Engineering
“Can pesticides in water be removed by agricultural by-product?”
Presenter #11: Kiirsti Owen
Master’s student, Biological Sciences
“How do birds respond when we regrow the forests around them?”
Presenter #12: Niwit Aryal
Master’s student, Electrical and Computer Engineering
“Can you afford a self-driving car?”
Presenter #13: Sidra Anis
Master’s student, Civil and Environmental Engineering
“The more the merrier? New border crossing in Windsor, Ontario”
Presenter #14: Katrina Switzer
Doctoral student, Biological Sciences
“Don't call me mellow yellow: stress and colour in a tropical toad”
Presenter #15: Allison Gray
Doctoral student, Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology
“Eating meat without animals for the planet”
Presenter #16: Yuehua Zhu
Master’s student, Education
“Political participation: a pathway to improve English language proficiency”.
The University of Windsor competition was held on March 26, 2018.
The winners were chosen out of 6 finalists from two heats of 20 contestants.
1st Place: Ian Thomas
Master’s student, Biological Sciences
“Birdsong and the roots of human language”
2nd Place: Liza-Anastasia DiCecco
Master’s student, Mechanical, Automotive and Materials Engineering
“Move over plastic, we're 3D printing titanium”
3rd Place: Ingrid Qemo
Doctoral student, Biological Sciences
“Brain stem cells: is too much or too little of a good thing, a bad thing?”
1st Place: Travis DeWolfe, Chemistry and Biochemistry: “Supercomputers against superbugs”
2nd Place: Christopher Cameron, English Language, Literature and Creative Writing: “There and back again”
3rd Place: Mary Ann Zokvic, Human Kinetics: “Putting a squeeze on heart disease”
1st Place: Jeremy Johnston, Master’s student, Department of English Language, Literature and Creative Writing, "Wait, you feel that, too?"
Prize: $1,000 cash and represent the University of Windsor at the Ontario provincial final at Wilfrid Laurier University on April 14, 2016
Runner-up: Krithika Muthukumaran, Doctoral student, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, “One brain to rule them all”
Prize: $500 cash
People's Choice: Zainab Bazzi, Doctoral student, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, “Fighting the spread: TAFI as an anti-cancer superhero”
Prize: $250 cash
1st Place: Anna Crater-Potter, Doctoral student, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, "Please leave a message"
Prize: $1,000 cash and represent the University of Windsor at the Ontario 3MT final held at Western University on April 23, 2015 - check out videorecording and photos of the provincial Final.
Runner-up: Katherine Balasingham, Master's student, Department of Biological Sciences, "Fishing for DNA"
Prize: $500 cash
People's Choice: Anna Crater-Potter, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, "Please leave a message"
Prize: $250 cash
1st Place: Yasina Somani, Master’s student, Department of Kinesiology, "Getting a grip on high blood pressure with a novel treatment".
Yasina received a $1,000 cash prize and represented Windsor in the second provincial competition at McMaster University on April 24, 2014.
2nd Place: Michael Holmes, Doctoral student, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, "How a hairpin could save your life".
Prize: $500 cash
People's Choice Award: Michael Holmes, Doctoral student, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, "How a hairpin could save your life". Prize: $250 cash
Watch a recording of the finalist presentations on our Youtube channel
1st Place: Chris Allan (Chemistry and Biochemistry): "From your TV to the lab: exploring the reactivity of indium
2nd Place: Rebecca Williams (Biological Sciences): "Great Lakes Undercover: Can Fish Evolve to Survive Pollution?
People’s Choice award: Heather Filiatrault (Chemistry and Biochemistry): "Stretchable Electronics Cast in a New Light