The Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts is excited to announce the names of the two students who will represent the college as finalists in this year’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

Alan Atkins

Alan Atkins (Wonsook Kim School of Art)

Alan Atkins is an artist/illustrator who was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. His passion for art originated from the cards and drawings that he would make for his family growing up, his love for comics and cartoons, and his exposure to the art of the Civil Rights Institute and Birmingham Museum of Art. He earned a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has participated in several fine arts exhibitions. Atkins works in a number of mediums including graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, pen and ink, India ink, and markers, and utilizes programs such as Procreate, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and a number of other digital applications. Currently, he is furthering his studies at Illinois State University at the Wonsook Kim School of Art where he is earning a master’s degree in fine arts. He works as a graduate assistant and is responsible for instructing and assisting in multiple undergraduate courses and serves as a supervisor in the school’s woodshop.

Britannia Howe

Britannia Howe (School of Theatre and Dance)

Britannia Howe is passionate about creating artistic opportunities for women. She has worked for the Cabaret Theatre, the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Innovative View Theatre Company, and Utah Shakespeare Festival; has directed for Women of Will productions; and is the recipient of the KCACTF Kennedy Center National Directing Fellowship. In addition to directing, Howe loves to teach adolescents about Shakespeare. She is an M.F.A. directing candidate at Illinois State University.

The Three Minute Thesis Competition is a competition that challenges master’s and Ph.D. students to describe their research topic and its significance in under three minutes to a general audience.

Students are evaluated on their presentations by judges who decide on a first and second prize, but also by audience members who vote for a people’s choice award. 

The 2022 3MT finals will be held on Thursday, February 24, at 6 p.m. via Zoom webinar.