For the second straight year, a College of Veterinary Medicine student has won Washington State University’s 2024 Three Minute Thesis (3MT).
Molecular biosciences doctoral student Marian Laughery impressed judges with her presentation titled “Muffin Mysteries & Cancer Histories: Using yeast as a model to uncover the origins of critical melanoma mutations.”
In its tenth year at WSU, 3MT is a competition for doctoral students. Each of them gets only three minutes to effectively communicate their research to a panel of judges.
About the first-place presentation, one judge said Laughery used a “great opening example,” and another said she “weaved in the right story… can’t wait to see how this research materializes.” Two judges said the presentation was “clean.”
As winner of the event, Laughery receives a travel grant for $3,000 to be applied to a research conference of her choice.
Laughery said she thought each presentation was fantastic and she felt humbled and honored to be selected as the overall 3MT winner.
“After meeting other competitors and listening to them describe their research, I was encouraged that our WSU community fosters not simply amazing minds but also kind-hearted individuals,” she said. “I was also touched by the warmth and support of those who took their time to host, facilitate, sponsor, and judge this year’s competition, and am grateful to each of them.”
Ryan Wagner from WSU Vancouver won second and a $1,500 travel grant. Aditi Dahiya from the College of Arts and Sciences took third place and a $500 travel grant.
For more information on Three Minute Thesis, including on each presentation, visit 3mt.wsu.edu.
