The Graduate College to Host Fall 2025 Three-Minute Thesis Competition Finals

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Nov. 7, 2025) – The Graduate College at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will present the final round of its Fall 2025 Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Ten finalists will compete before an audience of students, faculty, administrators and invited guests at 3 p.m. at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN) Auditorium in the Gateway Research Park South Campus, 2907 E. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro.

The 3MT Competition asks graduate students to present their master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation research to a general audience in just three minutes and with only one PowerPoint slide. Joining N.C. A&T Interim Provost Catherine Edmonds, Ed.D., ’92 as VIP judges will be N.C. Reps. Frances Jackson ‘84 and Amos Quick.

The finalists were chosen from among 45 registered master’s and doctoral student contestants who applied to compete and the 35 who participated in a preparatory workshop before a preliminary round held Wednesday, Nov. 5. They are:

• Kingsley Annor Asiedu, who is pursuing a doctorate in applied science and technology, “CO2 Hydrogenation Using Non-Thermal Plasma with Catalyst”
• Eden Argaw, who is pursuing an M.S. in chemistry, “Clay that Creates Fuel: A New Path to Green Energy”
• Moses Ashie, who is pursuing a doctorate in applied science and technology, “Preserving the Environment by going Green in our energy use-focusing on Hydrogen Energy”
• Brandon Bell, who is pursuing an M.S. in nanoengineering, “Milk Extracellular Vesicles for Enhanced Wound Repair”
• Rutujaa Kulkarni, who is pursuing a doctorate in nanoengineering, “From Lawn to Lunchbox: Growing the Future of Packaging”
• Oluseyi Ochima, who is pursuing a doctorate in applied science and technology, “Strategies to Track Changes in Metabolic Profile and Upstream Signaling Networks”
• Imoleayo Olorunyolemi, who is pursuing a doctorate in applied science and technology, “Synthesis of Quinone-based Cathode Material for New Rechargeable Battery Architectures”
• David Quansah, who is pursuing an M.S. in civil engineering, “Dynamic Traveler Responses to Sequential Incentives: Toward Adaptive Transportation System Management”
• Anai Robinson, who is pursuing a doctorate in applied science and technology, “Examining the Effectiveness of a Motivational-Influenced Metacognitive Intervention on Undergraduate Freshmen Biology Students”
• Dulce Velazquez, who an M.S. in chemistry, “Nanocomposite Hydrogel Coating With Self-Healing Characteristics”

This competition is one of The Graduate College’s professional development initiatives. The finals are co-hosted by The Graduate College, The Graduate Student Association and JSNN.

“The 3MT competition at North Carolina A&T State University has demonstrated remarkable growth, expanding from 12 participants over the past two years to a significantly larger and more competitive field,” said Re’Shanda Grace-Bridges, Ph.D., assistant dean of Professional Development and Student Engagement for The Graduate College. “Beyond the increase in participation, the competition provides our graduate students with an invaluable opportunity to develop the critical skill of communicating their research clearly and effectively to a general audience.

“This experience not only prepares them for success beyond A&T, but also reflects the university’s commitment to highlighting the transformative research our students are conducting to improve lives locally, across the state, and around the world.”

Finalists will compete for first-, second- and third-place and people’s choice honors, as well as the chance to win prize money up to $500. This year’s winners and their advisors will be honored at a graduate student awards luncheon in April 2026.

The first-place winner will represent N.C. A&T at the regional 3MT competition during the spring meeting of the Conference of Southern Graduate School, Feb. 18-20, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.