Twelve students from CFIS and the Faculty of Education competed in our heat for the 3-Minute Thesis Competition on Thursday 9 February 2012.  Competitors had just three minutes to outline their research with the aid of one slide and no other materials.  Topics ranged from The Transition to Kindergarten for Children with Hearing Loss in BC to Effects of Alcohol on Neuronal Growth to Attentional and Cognitive Consequences of Migraine Visual Cortical Hyperexcitability.  All competitors showed a very high level of professionalism and the presentations were very well-rehearsed.  Judges Hugh Brock, CFIS Principal, Sneja Gunew, former CFIS Associate Principal and Guang Yang, PhD graduate from the Neuroscience Program and last year’s heat winner, had a tough job evaluating the talks for communication style, comprehension and engagement.   

The winners were:  1st place:  Baillie Redfern (Genome Science and Technology Program), 2nd place: Fergil Mills (Neuroscience Program) and 3rd place:  Stefano Brigidi (Neuroscience Program).  Each winner was awarded a cash prize and will go on to the semi-finals of the 3MT competition on Wednesday 29 February 2012 (Baillie and Fergil will be competing in the 1:30pm heat and Stefano at 3:00pm.)  It seems the judges made the right choice – Baillie also won the People’s Choice Award, voted for by members of the audience.

Congratulations to everyone who took part in such an entertaining and informative event! 

Fergil Mills went on to be placed second in the UBC-wide 3MT competition on 2 March 2012.