Statewide Three Minute Thesis competition comes to Coeur d’Alene

COEUR d’ALENE, Idaho — Five Coeur d’Alene community leaders will serve as judges next week at Idaho’s eighth statewide Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition hosted by University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene. Four graduate students from each of the state’s public research institutions — University of Idaho, Boise State University and Idaho State University — who placed at their university’s event will compete in this statewide competition.

Each of the 12 students will deliver a three-minute presentation using only one photo or slide to showcase their research to a panel of judges and a live audience.

“Bringing the Three Minute Thesis competition to Coeur d’Alene for the first time is a significant milestone for our region,” said Andy Fields, U of I Coeur d’Alene center executive officer and the event’s emcee. “This event is a powerful showcase of the talent and high-level research occurring across Idaho’s public universities.”

Designed to cultivate graduate students’ academic, presentation and research communication skills, the 3MT competition helps increase students’ ability to explain their research to a non-specialist audience.

“Serving as a judge for the Three Minute Thesis competition is a privilege and a reminder of how research and discovery fuel the future of our state,” said Nick Swayne, president of North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene and a judge at the event. “This event celebrates the creativity and determination of graduate students whose ideas will shape Idaho’s communities, industries and shared prosperity for years to come.”

In addition to Swayne, the panel of judges includes Coeur d’Alene Mayor Dan Gookin; Dr. Bob McFarland, chair of the Kootenai Health board of directors; Britt Thurman, executive director of the Museum of North Idaho; and Linda Coppess, president and chief executive officer of the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber.

The 3MT competition will be held from 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, in the Lake Coeur d’Alene Room at NIC’s Student Union Building in Coeur d’Alene. The event is open to the public and free to attend, and it will also be livestreamed at uidaho.edu/cogs/3mt-state.

“University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene is incredibly proud to partner with North Idaho College to host this competition, and we invite the community to join us in witnessing how these students are solving the complex challenges of tomorrow — all in 180 seconds or less,” Fields said.

Founded by the University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT events are now held at more than 900 universities in over 85 countries. This is U of I’s eighth time hosting the event and the first time the event will be held in Coeur d’Alene.

“I’m thrilled to have this competition take place here in Coeur d’Alene,” Gookin said. “It’s an honor to be a judge and to hear these three-minute theses from our talented students.”

The panel of judges at next week’s statewide 3MT event will decide who will win first, second and third place, and the audience will vote for the People’s Choice Award. The top participants from each university will also get the opportunity to attend the Western Association of Graduate Schools 3MT competition in April.

For more information, visit uidaho.edu/cogs/3mt-state.

MEDIA NOTE: Media representatives are welcome to attend in person. Contact Alissa Korsak at akorsak@uidaho.edu with any questions.

Media contact

Alissa Korsak
Marketing and communications manager
U of I College of Graduate Studies, U of I Boise
208-771-0821
akorsak@uidaho.edu