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Research and Innovation

¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition winners for 2025-2026

Meet the winners at the Graduate Research Forum Nov. 7

by Susan Meikle, University Communications and Marketing • Published
Left to right: Onisha Thapa, Anastasiia Evstifeeva, and Dustyn Weber won the top three spots in Miami's 2025-2026 Three Minute Thesis competition.
Left to right: Onisha Thapa, Anastasiia Evstifeeva, and Dustyn Weber won the top three spots in Miami's 2025-2026 Three Minute Thesis competition.
Research and Innovation

¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition winners for 2025-2026

Left to right: Onisha Thapa, Anastasiia Evstifeeva, and Dustyn Weber won the top three spots in Miami's 2025-2026 Three Minute Thesis competition.
by Susan Meikle, University Communications and Marketing • Published

Ten finalists competed in the ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ Graduate School Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition held Oct. 18. 

Finalists were selected from among graduate ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵs who participated earlier this month in the research communication competition.

The , held at more than 900 universities worldwide, challenges participants to present their research in just 180 seconds in an engaging format that can be understood by an intelligent audience with no background in the research area. 

Winners

First place ($1,200 prize): second-year doctoral ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ in Chemistry, with advisor Gary Lorigan, University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, for her presentation “Study of Structural Dynamics and ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵology of the TatE Peptide in a Lipid Bilayer.” Thapa, an international ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ from Nepal, conducts research on membrane proteins and their structural topology, using various biophysical techniques to understand protein-membrane interactions and conformational dynamics. She will compete in the in Kansas City, March 2026.

  • Thapa also won the People's Choice award ($500 prize). 

Second place ($950 prize): MS ’23; second-year doctoral ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ in Chemistry, with advisor: Cory Rusinek, assistant professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, for Detection and Quantification of Manganese in Pretreated Samples by Electrochemistry.

Third place ($600 prize):  Anastasiia Evstifeeva, fifth-year doctoral ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ in Chemistry, with advisor Rick Page, associate vice president for research and innovation and professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, for her presentation “Understanding How NDM Enzymes Defeat Antibiotics.”

Miami's 3MT competition is sponsored by the Graduate School and in memory of Gerald Sanders, professor emeritus of Communications and chair of the department of Communications, 1981-1992.  

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