Master’s student brings home 3MT title

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Graduate student Ana Kovacevic will represent McMaster University at the Ontario Provincial Three Minute Thesis Competition in April.

BY Judi Pattison

February 25, 2016

Graduate student Ana Kovacevic will represent McMaster University at the Ontario Provincial Three Minute Thesis Competition in April.

Kovacevic took first place at the 4th Annual McMaster Three Minute Thesis Competition, a university-wide event for graduate students to share their research – and its broader impact – in three minutes or less, using only one static slide.

Her presentation, Stepping into a Healthy Mind, focuses on the kinesiology student’s Masters research – examining the relationship between exercise and mental acuity as we age.

In addition to representing McMaster at the provincial final, she receives the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Communicating Research and $1,000.

The 3MT runners-up each receive a cash prize, as well as the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Communicating Research. They are

  • Master’s student Paul Ricciuti from mechanical engineering placed second with The Pizza Oven Waste Energy Recovery (POWER) System;
  • Rachel Ho, a master’s student from rehabilitation science, presented The Impact of Concussions: The Storm You Cannot See, a 3MT that earned her third place;
  • Laura Cirelli, a PhD student in psychology, neuroscience and behaviour, placed fourth with her presentation, Breaking the Ice with Babies Through Dance; and
  • Elizabeth Perez, medical sciences master’s student, presented That Gut Feeling: A Bacterial Basis to Anxiety, garnering fifth place.

Judges for the Final included Peter Dyakowski, offensive lineman for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats; 2015 McMaster 3MT winner Teng Guo; Sujane Kandasamy, recent graduate of McMaster’s Health Research Methodology; Alyssa Lai, a McMaster alumna, public relations professional, and chair of the Hamilton Hive; and Ehima Osazuwa, president of the McMaster Student Union.

The day began with more than 35 graduate students from across the faculties taking part in three preliminary heats. Four winners from each heat competed in the Final.

The 2016 3MT was held at the new David Braley Health Sciences Centre.