The Simon Fraser University
Three Minute Thesis Competition
Finals
March 10, 2014
6pm
Official Welcome
• Introduction of Chair
History
• The Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) is an academic competition which
challenges graduate students to explain their research project to a nonspecialist audience in just three minutes.
• The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) was developed by The University of
Queensland in 2008; In 2011 3MT competitions were held at 43
Universities.
• 3MT came to Canada in 2011 at UBC. SFU was Canada’s 4th University to
host a 3MT competition. 3MT competitions will be held at almost every
Canadian university this year and there will be Western Regional and
National competitions this year.
Rules
• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations
or ‘movement’ of any description)
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound/video files) are permitted
• No additional props (e.g. laser pointers, costumes, laboratory equipment or
musical instruments) are permitted
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors
exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified
• Presentations are to be spoken words (e.g. no poems, raps or songs)
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts
their presentation through movement or speech
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.
Judging Panel
Andrew Petter, President and Vice-Chancellor
Pat Hibbitts, Vice-President, Finance and Administration
Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic and Provost
Norbert Haunerland, Associate Vice-President, Research
Sarah Temple, Executive Director, Communications and Marketing
Judging Criteria
• Comprehension: did the presentation help the audience understand
the research?
• Engagement: did the oration make the audience want to know more?
• Communication style: was the thesis topic and its significance
communicated in language appropriate to an intelligent but nonspecialist audience?
Prizes
• First Place: $1,000
• Runner-up: $500
• People’s Choice: $250
Kimberly House
Are Natural Disturbances Disturbing Birds? Avian
Community Responses to A Changing Ecological Theatre
Geography
Supervisor: Dr. Meg Krawchuk
ARE NATURAL DISTURBANCES DISTURBING BIRDS?
LiveBeetle Kill
Live
Green
Red
Phase
Grey Grey Phase
Phase
Wildfire
LiveBeetle KillFire
Time
Angie Natingor
Supporting Informal End-of-Life Caregivers
in British Columbia
Public Policy
Supervisor: Judith Sixsmith
Mark Nazemi
Soundwalk: A prescription for managing anxiety
in clinical settings
Interactive Arts and Technology
Supervisor: Dr. Diane Gromala
Your Slide
Please email this file to your faculty organizer for
inclusion in the final slideshow for your heat
If you go to the finals, your slide will be sent to
the finals organizers. If you have changes to your
slide, please email the newest version to
3mt-sfu@sfu.ca
Carmina Manychief
Holding the Past, Present, and Future: Investigating How
Cradleboards and the Shaping of Intergenerational
Identities among the Blackfoot
Archaeology
Supervisor: Dr. Eldon Yellowhorn
Holding the Past, Present, and Future:
Cradleboards and the Shaping of Intergenerational Identities
among the Blackfoot
Pradeep Reddy Raamana
Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease
Engineering Science
Supervisor: Mirza Faisal Beg
Vanessa Kong
Designing Better Public Washrooms for Our City
Communication
Supervisor: Prof. Catherine Murray
Designing Better Public Washrooms for
Our City
Deanna Rexe
The Political Economy of Tuition Fee Policy in Canada
Educational Leadership
Supervisor: Dr. Michelle Nilson
Stages in the Policy Cycle
Agenda-setting
Evaluation
Implementation
Formulation of
Alternatives
Decisionmaking
Irina Presnyakova
Vancouver English
Linguistics
Supervisor: Dr. S. K. Hilgendorf
Allison Cornell
Predictive Cues and Fitness Consequences of Breeding
Phenology
Biology
Supervisor: Tony Williams
Predictive Cues and Fitness Consequences
of Breeding Phenology
Jan/Feb
March
April
May
June
Honghua Li
Shape Compaction:
3D Shape Optimization for Space Saving
Computing Science
Supervisor: Hao (Richard) Zhang
Saving Space: 3D Object Optimization
stackabilization
foldabilization
Dominic Trevisan
Adjustment Difficulties Among Undergraduates: The
Importance of Social Communication
Educational Psychology
Supervisor: Dr. Elina Birmingham
Bekka Brodie
Multi-modal foraging and communication in Blow Flies
(Family: Calliphoridae)
Biology
Supervisor: Dr. Gerhard Gries
Pest Ecology:
Science keeps
maggots off your meal
Dimethyl trisulfide
Aviva Finkelstein
Trace Elements in Human Skeletal Remains:
Determining Place Origin Through Portable X-Ray
Fluorescence (pXRF) Analysis
Archaeology
Supervisor: Dr. Ruby Reimer
Trace Elements in
Human Skeletal Remains
Determining Place of Origin Through
Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) Analysis
Aviva Finkelstein, MA Student, Department of Archaeology
?
?
?
? ?
Short break for the judges
to deliberate
People’s Choice Using the ballot paper, please select your favourite presenter.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Kimberly House, Are Natural Disturbances Disturbing Birds? Avian Community Responses to A Changing
Ecological Theatre
Angie Natingor, Supporting Informal End-of-Life Caregivers in British Columbia
Mark Nazemi, Soundwalk: A prescription for managing anxiety in clinical settings
Camina Manychief, Holding the Past, Present, and Future: Investigating How Cradleboards Shape
International Identity Among the Blackfoot
Pradeep Reddy Raamana, Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease
Vanessa Kong, Designing Better Public Washrooms for Our City
Deanna Rexe, The Political Economy of Tuition Policy Formation in Canada
Irina Presnyakova, Vancouver English
Allison Cornell, Predictive Cues and Fitness Consequences of Breeding Phenology
Howard Li , 3D Shape Optimization for Space Saving
Dominic Trevisan, Adjustment Difficulties Among Undergraduates: The importance of Social Communication
Bekka Brodie, Multi-modal Foraging and Communication in Blow Flies
Aviva Finkelstein, Trace Elements in Human Skeletal Remains: Determining Place Origin Through Portable
X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) Analysis