14th Annual 3MT® Competition

Final competition: November 5, 2027, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
LBJ Student Center, Grand Ballroom

One dean and three winners next a 3MT banner
Left to Right: Md Ibrahim Khalil Tanim, Andrew Gombac, Nazwa Chowdhury

2026 University Final Winners

1st Place - Md Ibrahim Khalil Tanim, Ph.D. Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization
A Tire That Feels Itself Wearing Out

2nd Place - Andrew Gombac, Ph.D. Civil Engineering
Soil Safety at Bridge Foundations

People's Choice - Nazwa Chowdhury, M.S. Physics
Engineering The Building Blocks of a Quantum Future: Unlocking the New Possibilities

a male student giving a pesentation to a conference room full of people

What is 3MT®?

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT)® is an internationally known competition. Graduate students in thesis and dissertation programs have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their research. 3MT® challenges students to consolidate their ideas and research discoveries to present to a non-specialist audience.

The first 3MT® was held at UQ in 2008 with 160 students competing. Enthusiasm for the 3MT® concept grew and it has now been adopted by numerous universities around the world.

Attend and participate as the audience!

Each round of the competition requires a People Choice Vote. That is where you come in!

Want more information about presenting?

Find info about eligibility, how to prepare, and awards.

Why Attend?

Your attendance and participation is crucial to the competition! As an audience member, you have the power to name People's Choice winners in the University Final Competition.

By attending the 3MT® University Final Competition, you not only witness the impressive communication skills of the participating students but also encourage and motivate them to refine their abilities further. You will have the opportunity to learn about a wide range of innovative and groundbreaking research being conducted by talented students within the Texas State community.

Judges

Final Competition

THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 UNIVERSITY FINALS JUDGES PANEL

  • Dr. Anna Finn, Chief of Staff to the Provost
  • Mr. Larry Gaddes, President, Alumni Association
  • Ms. Page Michel, President and CEO, San Marcos Chamber of Commerce
  • Ms. Kate Malazonia, Senior Public Information Specialist, Marketing and Communications
  • Dr. Aimee Roundtree, Special Assistant to the Vice President for Research

Presenters

Final Competition

THANK YOU TO OUR 2026 UNIVERSITY FINALS PRESENTERS

  • Preiz Amatya, M.S. Civil Engineering
  • Soheil Behdarvandirad, Ph.D. Adult, Professional, and Community Education
  • Nazwa Chowdhury, M.S. Physics
  • Gabriel de Castro Araujo, Ph.D. Computer Science
  • Andrew Gombac, Ph.D. Civil Engineering
  • Tiara A. Jenkins, Ph.D. Anthropology
  • Jasmine Isela Rodriguez, Ph.D. Integrative and Applied Biology
  • Mir Imran Bin Samad, M.S. Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
  • Musfika Sultana, M.A. Digital Media Communication
  • Nishat Tasnim Tabassum, M.S. Human Nutrition
  • Md Ibrahim Khalil Tanim, Ph.D. Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization
  • Canyon Tillmon, M.S. Integrated Agriculture

What Our Winners Say

"Public speaking had always been a source of anxiety for me, especially when presenting in front of large audiences. The 3MT® stage challenged me to face that fear, and the experience gave me the confidence to communicate my research clearly and effectively."

— Md Ibrahim Khalil Tanim, 2026 First Place Winner

Why Compete?

  • promote your research
  • enhance communication skills
  • learn how to explain your research to a non-specialized audience
  • develop “elevator pitch” discussions of your research (especially useful for job interviews!)
  • get a chance to win one of the four awards for the Preliminary Round: First Place ($200), Second Place ($150), Runner-up ($100), and People’s Choice ($100)
  • get a chance to win one of three awards at the University Final: First Place Winner ($1000), Runner-up ($500), and the People’s Choice ($500)

Previous Competition

Curious to know more about the 3MT® Competition? View previous presentations in our archives. You can also watch 3MT® winners from competitions at other universities.

2026 Sponsors

The Graduate College thanks the 2026 3MT® sponsors

Office of The Provost, Honors College, Department of Sociology, and The IDEA Center.

Questions?

If you require accommodations due to a disability in order to participate, please contact The Graduate College, gcevents@txstate.edu, at least 72 hours in advance of the event.

Texas State is a tobacco-free campus.