The annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, February 23, at the Normal Theater located in Uptown Normal.

The event is free and open to the public. The Three Minute Thesis competition is an academic competition that challenges Illinois State University graduate students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience.

This year, 11 contestants will compete:

  • Bothwell Piason, Department of Criminal Justice Sciences, College of Applied Science and Technology
  • Holly Filsinger, School of Art, Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
  • Kathryn Keithley, Department of Economics, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Nicholas Steffenhagen, School of Music, Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
  • Reagen Tibbs, Department of Agriculture, College of Applied Science and Technology
  • Rebecca Chicosky, School of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Sadia Sultana, School of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Sanhawich Meateanuwat, School of Theatre and Dance, Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
  • Savannah Thielbar, Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Thunsinee Muangthong, School of Teaching and Learning, College of Education
  • Whitney Spencer, Department of Special Education, College of Education

Students will compete for prizes, including first place for $750, second place for $500, and People’s Choice for $750. The first-place winner will move on to compete at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools contest.