Bayley Wade, a master’s student in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University, emerged as the winner of the statewide Colorado Council of Graduate Schools Three-Minute Talk Competition.

Wade’s statewide recognition comes after receiving honors while competing in a series of interdisciplinary and discipline-specific competitions at CSU — experiences she credits for sharpening her communication skills and the skills of fellow graduate students.

The statewide competition on April 21 followed the style of 3MT™ or 3-Minute Thesis style competitions, requiring participants to explain their research or scholarship clearly and concisely in just three minutes. Competitors follow strict communication rules, including using only one slide, no animations or props, and timed presentations.

Wade’s talk, which included the research of collaborators, titled “Neural Mechanisms of Psychomotor Impairment in Adults with Type 1 Diabetes,” stood out among the competitors. She executed a successful storytelling approach to explain the research conducted under the guidance of her advisor, Brett Fling.

Connecting research to the audience with powerful storytelling

Wade employed a storytelling method, centered around a personified patient named ‘Sarah’ who can no longer ride a bicycle due to brain atrophy that causes physical limitations. Wade’s presentation vividly demonstrated the power of using engaging communication styles to explain specialized and sophisticated research to non-experts. She explained how her research in the Sensorimotor Neuroimaging Lab aims to rehabilitate the physical abilities of diabetic patients by targeting the brain, with the goal of getting patients like ‘Sarah’ back to physical activities, or in Wade’s words, “back on her bike.”

Wade credits her growing success to training and mentoring support from Fling, colleagues in the Sensorimotor Neuroimaging Lab, and colleagues she worked with in the Graduate School’s pilot 3MT™ style challenge. Polishing her presentation involved seeking mentorship, stretching herself through peer support, and intense training.

“As a researcher, my goal is to help people. To achieve that goal, it is essential that I can convey complex scientific concepts in a clear and understandable way to the very people who will benefit from my research,” said Wade.

Kristina Quynn, assistant dean of the Graduate School and director of CSU Writes, lauded Wade’s efforts.

“Wade’s storytelling approach sounds simple. It is, however, anything but. Those who have attempted to distill specialized knowledge and years of research into a clear and concise story know it can seem like rocket science. Well, sometimes it literally is,” said Quynn, who leads professional development for the Graduate School at CSU and mentors students across many disciplines at the university.