2026 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Winners
Celebrating clarity in graduate research communication
The 2026 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition brought together graduate students, faculty, and staff at Rutgers Academic Building West on March 13, 2026, for an afternoon dedicated to research communication at its highest level. The event began at 3:00 PM with a welcome from Dr. Ramazan Güngör, followed by opening remarks from Vice Dean Kathleen Scotto, who underscored the importance of making graduate research accessible beyond disciplinary boundaries. Dean Mark Robson of the School of Graduate Studies was also in attendance, demonstrating his ongoing support for initiatives that elevate graduate student research and communication.
An overview of the competition format and judging criteria set the stage: each finalist had just three minutes and one static slide to present their work, followed by two minutes for judges to complete their scoring rubrics. What followed was a fast-paced sequence of presentations from ten finalists representing fields ranging from biomedical sciences to engineering and the humanities.
- Ankita Prakash: Charging the Immune Battery against Tuberculosis, Biomedical & Health Sciences
- Anandkumar Patel: Teaching Factories to Adapt: Context-aware AI for Quality Assurance, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- Ashwini Subramanian: Pain-Proofing Assistive Technology, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Nupur Tyagi: How the immune System Outsmarts Bacteria, Microbial Biology
- Payton Harmon: Fortified Oral Rehydration Therapy: Reducing Child Deaths from Gut Infections, Nutritional Sciences
- Preeti Malviya: Impact of Vanadium on Sulfur-Solubility in Nuclear Waste Glass, Materials Science and Engineering
- Reyhaneh Hosseinijei: Making New Anti-Malaria Drugs, Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- Sayoni Chatterjee: Genetics Underpinnings of the Proximo-distal Elaboration of Pectoral Appendages during the Fin-to-limb Transition, Cell and Developmental Biology Program
- Soham Chakraborty: C-H Bonds: A Catalytic Breakup Story!, Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- Yunhee Shim: Exploring Content Creators’ Comment Moderation Strategy, Communication, Information and Media Studies
Each presentation required disciplinary expertise and the ability to communicate significance, method, and impact with clarity and precision. After the final presentation, the program moved into a dedicated period for judges’ deliberation and audience voting. This moment marked a transition from performance to evaluation, as judges carefully reviewed presentations using standardized criteria while audience members cast votes for the People’s Choice Award.
The nine judges brought a wide range of perspectives to the competition, from faculty and editors to professionals working in technology transfer, outreach, and alumni relations. This mix is part of what makes 3MT so valuable. Presentations are not judged only on technical depth, but on how clearly the research can be understood by an educated, non-specialist audience. Their engagement helped ensure that the competition remained both rigorous and supportive, and we are grateful for the time and thought they invested in each presentation.
At approximately 4:10 PM, Dean Mark Robson returned to the stage to announce the winners and present awards. As Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Dr. Robson has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing graduate student success, through financial support, institutional leadership, and by championing initiatives that prepare students for a wide range of professional pathways. His support for programs such as 3MT is a part of a broader vision for graduate education at Rutgers, one that values the ability to communicate research clearly, engage diverse audiences, and translate scholarly work beyond the boundaries of academia. Under his leadership, SGS has continued to invest in opportunities that help graduate students develop these essential skills, reinforcing the idea that strong research and strong communication are inseparable.
The ceremony also included group photos with finalists and award recipients, followed by closing remarks and an informal networking session that extended the conversation beyond the stage.
First Place: Sayoni Chatterjee
Cell and Developmental Biology Program
Sayoni Chatterjee earned First Place for a presentation that combined scientific depth with exceptional clarity. Her talk on the genetic underpinnings of pectoral appendage development during the fin-to-limb transition stood out for its strong narrative structure and ability to make complex biological processes understandable to a broad audience.
Runner-Up: Ashwini Subramanian
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Ashwini Subramanian was named Runner-Up for her presentation on assistive technology. Her work demonstrated how engineering innovation can address real-world challenges, and her delivery translated technical complexity into clear, engaging insights.
People’s Choice Award: Preeti Malviya
Materials Science and Engineering
Preeti Malviya received the People’s Choice Award, selected by audience vote, for her presentation on sulfur solubility in nuclear waste glass. Her ability to connect with the audience and present a highly specialized topic in an accessible way resonated strongly with attendees.
The 3MT competition remains a central part of SGS’s professional development programming, emphasizing research excellence and the ability to communicate that research effectively. The 2026 event highlighted both the intellectual strength of SGS students and their growing capacity to engage diverse audiences with clarity and purpose.
People’s Choice Award winner Preeti Malviya captured why this initiative is so valuable for SGS, echoing feedback we heard from many participants:
"The Three Minute Thesis experience challenged me to distill complex research into clear, engaging narratives, offering a fresh perspective on my work. It highlighted that research is most meaningful when it resonates beyond the scientific community to a broader audience."
The impact of the 3MT experience was perhaps best captured by the finalists themselves. Reflecting on her First Place win, Sayoni Chatterjee emphasized the discipline the format demands: “What I love the most about 3MT is its constraint—that forced clarity. It was an exercise in what to keep, what to discard, and still retain rigor and meaning. I value science as something that belongs to everyone, not just those who do it, and this was a way to practice that.” Runner-Up Ashwini Subramanian highlighted the shift in perspective the competition encourages: “Participating in the 3MT challenge was an exhilarating experience. Unlike a traditional academic conference, 3MT provided a unique platform to translate my research for a diverse, non-specialist audience. It forced me to strip away the jargon and find the core human story in my work. Watching my fellow competitors was equally rewarding. I learned so much about the art of storytelling and public speaking from them. Ultimately, this experience has been a significant boost to my confidence as a communicator.”