Since 2015, 3MT competition finalists have impressed judges and the public with their interesting and impactful research.
2024
2024 Champion
Marcel Roy Domalanta
Area of study: Doctoral student in coatings and polymeric materials
Advisor: Eugene Caldona, assistant professor of coatings and polymeric materials
Presentation: “Soy much better: Making non-stick materials stick”
Other 2024 Finalists:
Kyle Boutin
Area of study: Doctoral student in environmental and conservation sciences
Advisor: Marinus Otte, professor of biological sciences
Presentation: “Harnessing the Power of Wetlands to Improve Water Quality and the Climate”
Bivek Chaulagain
Area of study: Doctoral student in pharmaceutical sciences
Advisor: Jagdish Singh, professor and chair of pharmaceutical sciences
Presentation: “Alzheimer's Disease: Is Cannabidiol the answer?”
Pooyan Vahidi Pashaki
Area of study: Doctoral student in biomedical engineering
Advisor: Dinesh Katti, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering
Presentation: “Next-Generation of Biomaterial for Sport-Related Ligaments Injury”
Nastaran Shahzadeh
Area of study: Doctoral student in coatings and polymeric materials
Advisor: Dean C. Webster, professor and chair of coatings and polymeric materials
Presentation: “Amphiphilically Modified coatings for Fouling Release Applications”
Himani Yadav
Area of study: Doctoral student in civil engineering
Advisor: Syeed Iskander, assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering
Presentation: “Plastic Consciousness: A part of solution to plastic pollution”
2023
2023 Champion
Nitin Rai
Program: Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Ph.D.
Advisor: Xin “Rex” Sun
Presentation: “Drone spots illegal weed plants: The future of agriculture takes flight”
Other 2023 Finalists:
Sifat Karim Chowdhury
Program: Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D.
Advisor: Yan Zhang
Presentation: “Fluid-Structure Interaction of Collapsible Thin-Walled Vessel under Different Flow Conditions”
Shokoofeh Ghasemi
Program: Coatings and Polymeric Materials, Ph.D.
Advisor: Dean Webster
Presentation: “Anti-ice coating; Making it hard for water to freeze”
Ellysa Johnson
Program: Natural Resources Management, M.S.
Advisor: Torre Hovick
Presentation: “That's One Hot Commodity: Both Cattle and Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) Eat Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) in Rangelands”
Siavash Mansouri
Program: Coatings and Polymeric Materials, M.S.
Advisor: Mohiuddin Quadir
Presentation: “Safe buildings by new green smart fire-fighting coating”
Ankita Sawant
Program: Environmental and Conservation Sciences, M.S.
Advisor: Laura Aldrich-Wolfe
Presentation: “Mycorrhizas and native prairie restoration: exploring the effects of mycorrhizal inoculum, seed origin, and phosphorus on plant performance”
2022
2022 Grand Champion: Kishore Chittimalli
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Yagna Jarajapu
Presentation: “Restructuring Gut Microbiome for Healthy Aging”
Other 2022 Finalists
Nathaniel Johnson
Program: Exercise Science and Nutrition, Ph.D.
Advisor: Sherri Stastny
Presentation: “Protein Intake and Muscle Health”
Ellysa Johnson
Program: Natural Resource Science, M.S.
Advisor: Torre Hovick, Jason Harmon
Presentation: ”A Piece of Cake: Updated Monarch (Danaus plexippus L.) Conservation in North Dakota Rangelands”
Biraj Saha
Program: Civil Engineering, Ph.D.
Advisor: Syeed Md Iskander
Presentation: “Breaking the Chain(s) of Forever Chemicals”
Yue Shen
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ph.D.
Advisor: Chengwen Sun
Presentation: “Chronic Central Administration Of Apelin-13 Induces Blood-pressure Elevation And Cardiac Remodeling In Conscious Rats”
McKenna Wegner
Program: English, M.A.
Advisor: Holly Hassel
Presentation: “’Better Safe than Sorry’ : Social Media Responses to Emerging COVID-19 Research in the News”
2021
2021 Grand Champion: Riddhi Trivedi
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisors: Jagdish Singh
Presentation: presented “Brain Targeted Nanoparticles for Management of neuroAIDS.”
2021 Finalist: Niyati Borkar
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Sathish Venkatachalem
Presentation “It's All About the KISS - Gender and Asthma.”
2021 Finalist: Jackson Benda
Program: Coatings and Polymeric Materials (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dean Webster
Presentation: “Development of Robust Fouling-release Coatings with Amphiphilic Surfaces to Combat Biofouling.”
2020
2020 Grand Champion: Riddhi Trivedi
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisors: Amrita Banerjee and Jagdish Singh
Presentation: “No More Hide and Seek: NanoParticles Seek Out the Hiding HIV in Brain to Combat NeuroAIDS”
2020 Finalist: Jasmine Cutter
Program: Range Science (M.S.)
Advisors: Torre Hovick and Ben Geaumont
Presentation: “Just Crumbs: How We’re Starving Native Bees in America’s Bread Basket”
2020 Finalist: Babak Jahani
Program: Mechanical Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Xinnan Wang
Presentation: “The Effects of Surface Roughness on Functionality of Orthopedic Implants”
2020 Finalist: Babak Mamnoon
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Sanku Mallik
Presentation: “Smart Nanosoldiers to Combat Deadliest Cancers”
2020 Finalist: Alireza Rahimi
Program: Coatings and Polymeric Materials (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dean C. Webster
Presentation: “Developing of Anti-icing Paints”
2020 Finalist: Hizb Ullah Sajid
Program: Civil Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Ravi Kiran Yellavajjala
Presentation: “Bio-based Additives for Mitigating Corrosion in Transportation Infrastructure”
2019
2019 Grand Champion: Elisabeth Wilson
Program: Biological Sciences (M.S.)
Advisor: Dr. Julia Bowsher
Presentation: "Micro-climate Impacts Nesting Choice and Success of Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee"
2019 Finalist: Alireza Rahimi
Program: Coatings and Polymeric Materials (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Dean Webster
Presentation: "Developing of Marine Paints to Combat Biofouling"
2019 Finalist: Matthew Confeld
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Sanku Mallik
Presentation: "Hypoxia Responsive Peptide Conjugated Nanoparticles for Treatment of Solid Tumors"
2019 Finalist: Mohsen Tahmasebi Nasab
Program: Civil Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Xuefeng Chu
Presentation: "How do Climate-driven Changes Affect our Water Resources?"
2019 Finalist: Pranothi Mulinti
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Amanda Brooks
Presentation: "Silk Bubbles to the Rescue"
2019 Finalist: Priyanka Swami
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Estelle Leclerc
Presentation: "Combination Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment"
2019 Finalist: Raquib Hasan
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Amanda Brooks
Presentation: "Putty that Treats Bone Infection"
2019 Finalist: Sakshi Taneja
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Estelle Leclerc
Presentation: "Evaluating the Critical Role of Receptor of Advanced Glycation Endproducts (RAGE) in Pancreatic Cancer"
2018
2018 Grand Champion: Farnaz Fouladi
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Kristine Steffen
Presentation: “The Role of the Gut Bacteria in Weight Loss Surgery”
2018 Finalist: Shrinidh Joshi
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Yagna Jarajapu
Presentation: “‘Designer’ Stem Cells for the Treatment of Diabetic Complications: ‘The Future is Now’”
2018 Finalist: Cecilia Monclova-Santana
Program: Plant Pathology (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Julie Pasche
Presentation: “Rust: A Dry Bean Disease Story in North Dakota”
2018 Finalist: Seseer Mou-Danha
Program: Communication (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Charles Okigbo
Presentation: “Nothing, Nothing Justifies Terrorism”
2018 Finalist: Amreen Mughal
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Stephen O'Rourke
Presentation: “Regulation of Vascular Tone in Cerebral and Coronary Arteries by Apelin/APJ Receptor Mechanisms”
2018 Finalist: Suresh Niraula
Program: Environmental and Conservation Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Shafiqur Rahman
Presentation: “Does Manure Application Help Increase Corn Yield in ND?”
2017
2017 Grand Champion: Tayebeh Anajafi Marzijarani
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Sanku Mallik
Presentation: “Targeted Drug Delivery in Pancreatic Cancer”
2017 Finalist: Matthew Crouse
Program: Animal Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Joel Caton
Presentation: “Effects of Maternal Nutrition on Fructose, Glucose, and Cationic Amino Acid Transporter Expression in Bovine Utero-placental Tissues from Days 16 to 50 of Gestation”
2017 Finalist: Farnaz Fouladi
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Kristine Steffen
Presentation: “The Role of the Gut Bacteria in Sustained Weight Loss after Gastric Bypass Surgery”
2017 Finalist: Babak Jahani
Program: Mechanical Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Fardad Azarmi
Presentation: “Development of an Advanced Composite Material Consisting of Iron Matrix Reinforced with Ultra High Temperature Ceramic Particulate (TiB2) with Optimum Properties”
2017 Finalist: Xiaoxia Li
Program: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Canan Bilen-Green
Presentation: “A Semiparametric Trajectory Model for Cognitive Decline”
2017 Finalist: Brian Schmidt
Program: Advanced Athletic Training (M.S.)
Advisor: Shannon David
Presentation: “Psychometric Evaluation of Two Self-Reported Questionnaires for Musculoskeletal Injuries Among Musicians”
2017 Finalist: J Stanley
Program: Plant Sciences (M.S.)
Advisor: Hans Kandel
Presentation: “Soybean Yield Gap in North Dakota”
2017 Finalist: Masahiro Toyama
Program: Developmental Science (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Heather Fuller
Presentation: “The Protective Power of Social Relationships in Late Life”
2016
2016 Grand Champion: Manpreet Bains
Program: Molecular Pathogensis (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Glenn Dorsam
Presentation: "Modulatory Effects of Neural Proteins on Your Microbiome"
2016 Finalist: Sajid Asif
Program: Electrical and Computer Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Banjamin Braaten
Presentation: "Batteryless, Leadless Pacemaker"
2016 Finalist: Renee Bourdeaux
Program: Communication (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Ann Burnett
Presentation: "Financial Conversations Between Romantic, Committed Partnerships"
2016 Finalist: Lauren Dennhardt
Program: Botany (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Steven Travers
Presentation: "Kentucky Bluegrass Invasion of North Dakota"
2016 Finalist: Prajakta Kulkarni
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Sanku Mallik
Presentation: "Pancreatic Cancer Treatment"
2016 Finalist: Courage Mudzongo
Program: Developmental Science (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Brandy Randall
Presentation: "Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: Lessons from an Urban Adolescent Population"
2015
2015 Grand Champion: Allison Peltier
Program: Nursing (DNP)
Advisor: Loretta Heuer
Presentation: "Cervical Cancer Among American Indian Women: The Battle Against Health Inequalities"
2015 Finalist: Lutfur Akand
Program: Civil Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Mijia Yang
Presentation: "Exploring fiber reinforced porous concrete with finite element modeling and experimental studies"
2015 Finalist: Adam Edwinson
Program: Molecular Pathogenesis (Ph.D.)
Advisor: John McEvoy
Presentation: "Host mucins trigger replication of a pathogentic parasite"
2015 Finalist: Venkata Indurthi
Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Stefan Vetter
Presentation: "Diabetes, high blood sugar, and protein modifications"
2015 Finalist: Courage Mudzongo
Program: Developmental Science (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Brandy Randall
Presentation: "Short-Term Mission Trips"