Written by Dallas Head
Three minutes and one slide: this is all that over 40 Colorado State University graduate students will have when they compete in the Vice President for Research Graduate Fellowship Three-Minute Challenge.
The competitors are chosen from the Graduate Student Showcase and will have only three minutes to discuss their research and scholarly projects to a panel of six judges.
The second annual competition will be held Feb. 13 from noon-5 p.m. in the Lory Student Center Longs Peak room. Presentations will include projects from across the university in many fields, including psychology, microbiology, history, chemistry, chemical and biological engineering and more. The event is open to the public.
Winners to become part of VPR fellows cohort
Out of the 40 that compete, only 12 will be invited from the competition to become the VPR Fellowship Program cohort. Fellows will be eligible to receive up to $4,000 in scholarship and travel support as well as opportunities to participate in professional development workshops, mentorship, engagement opportunities and leadership over the 2017-18 academic year.
The initiative was created by the Office of the Vice President for Research in support of excellence in graduate research and scholarly works and to help promote cross-college and cross-department collaborations.
“This program highlights the amazing work our students perform as part of their graduate education at CSU. Seeing the diversity of activity happening across our institution, presented in the context of the 3 Minute Challenge competition, is a spectacular experience for both the students and the audience,” said Ellen Fisher, senior faculty advisor for the Office of the Vice President for Research.
Inspired by an international competition called the Three Minute Thesis, the VPR Graduate Fellowship Challenge asks graduate students to explain their research to the general public with the use of only one static PowerPoint slide. The presentation’s judging panel will consist of a diverse panel of community, industry, university administration and faculty leaders.
