Kristal Ambrose, winner of Dal鈥檚 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition in 2018, has a message for grad students contemplating signing up for this year鈥檚 edition of the event on March 12 and 13.
鈥淚 say jump, just do it. Don鈥檛 worry about winning 鈥� as clich茅 as that sounds. It鈥檚 only a competition. I mean the prize money is great, but it鈥檚 also just a great challenge.鈥�
for the annual event organized by the Faculty of Graduate Studies which gives the university鈥檚 research-based graduate students the opportunity to share their ideas with the Dal and Halifax communities and contend for $4,000 in cash prizes.
To succeed, contenders must present the complexities of their research in the most compelling way possible. But there鈥檚 a catch: they only get 180 seconds and one PowerPoint slide to make their pitch to a panel of judges and an enthusiastic audience of the uninitiated. It鈥檚 an exercise that combines brains and brevity, and the most convincing communicators come out on top.
Kristal, a Master鈥檚 of Marine Management student, won last year鈥檚 competition with a presentation of her research investigating how plastic debris ends up on the white sand beaches of her island home, The Bahamas. Having just completed one semester of her 16-month program at the time, she says the competition helped her find focus in her studies.
Watch:
鈥淚 was still trying to find a way to refine my research. 3MT forced me to really sit down and take an in-depth look at what I was trying to do,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t forced me to ask: What are the important components of this work? What are the questions I need to answer? What is going to help me answer those questions?鈥�.
Balancing communication and charisma
She says that once a student has those questions figured out the next step is to land on a presentation that will let their personality shine through.
鈥淪tructure is good and following formulas that exist is good, but don鈥檛 leave yourself out of the equation. Don鈥檛 forfeit your personality. When I first started, my presentation was very cut and dry. I would practice in the mirror and end up saying to myself, 鈥楰ristal, this isn鈥檛 you.鈥欌��
Her advice this this year鈥檚 competitors:
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e on stage, people want to see you. They want to know who is doing the work. So be sure to put your personality in there. You don鈥檛 have to separate the two.鈥�
From English to engineering
In 2018, the 3MT competition brought together more than 100 Master鈥檚 and PhD students from across the university in pursuit of cash prizes, bragging rights and the chance to share their passion. Ambrose says it鈥檚 the broad mix of topics from across the faculties that makes the event so exciting.
鈥淭he 3 Minute Thesis offers an amazing platform for students to share their work. We got to see so many different disciplines. So, outside of just competing, you get to see what other students are doing. It was really inspiring and motivating to see the breadth and depth of work that鈥檚 being done by students who are just like you.鈥�
For Kristal, the research she presented at 3MT is a big part of who she is. In addition to her studies, she runs The Bahamas Plastic Movement, an NGO she started before she came to Dal with a mission to reduce the plastic waste that ends up on her country鈥檚 beaches. Her biggest accomplishment so far has been to successfully lobby the government to instate a ban on plastic bags that comes into effect in January 2020.
鈥淭he data from my graduate research project actually informed the legislation, and we were able to use that to help guide policies and management strategies for marine debris,鈥� she says.
"Right now, we鈥檙e focusing on getting the country ready for the ban and moving toward a plastic free Bahamas. So, a lot of public education campaigns and expansion of our scientific research.鈥澛�
The medium becomes the message
She says 3MT and associated promotion helped her connect with new people and advance her cause. A video of her presentation has been viewed thousands of times across numerous social media channels and introduced her to people at home and around the world.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been great exposure. I鈥檝e been to international conferences and people say, 鈥業 saw a video of you鈥�. And everyone is like, 鈥榶ou look familiar, I feel like I鈥檝e seen you before.鈥� Even students who came into my program 鈥� the incoming class of the Marine Affairs 鈥� they said 鈥業 saw your 3 Minute Thesis and I was so inspired. I came to the program because of you,鈥欌�� she recounts, shaking her head with disbelief.
鈥淣o kidding, they said that, and I was like 鈥榳hoa.鈥欌��
Watch presentations by 2018鈥檚 second and third place competitors:
Second place:
Third place: