Wednesday, November 30th marked this year’s annual Lister Family Engaged Science Initiative 3-Minute Thesis contest. Originated by the University of Queensland, this competition challenges graduate students to present their research in a captivating and easy-to-understand way in 3 minutes or less. The students are also allowed a single slide that visually captures their research and aids in explaining their work. This year, 13 students across multiple disciplines (from bioresource engineering to animal science) took part in the contest at the Macdonald Campus. The contestants were timed and judged by a panel of experts. Over 80 people attended this event to hear about the innovative work our McGill grad students are doing.
Image 1. Shabnaz and Jasmine presenting during the 3-Minute Thesis Competition
Our lab, CowLife McGill, was represented by Shabnaz Mokhtarnazif (MSc student) and Jasmine Muszik (PhD student). Shabnaz presented her work on the effect of outdoor access on gait and hoof health dairy cows. Jasmine, on the other hand, focused on her thesis about measuring animal emotion. Both were well-prepared and did an amazing job at conveying their work and that of the lab’s. This contest even offered awards for the top 3 presentations, as well as a People’s Choice, which was chosen by the audience. There was a high caliber of presentations given this year which made judging a difficult task. In the end, Jasmine was awarded First Place in the competition for her efforts. We are very proud of both Shabnaz and Jasmine for their preparation, participation, and ability to share their research to a wider audience. Good work ladies!
Image 2. Jasmine’s certificate for the 1st place prize