Stony Brook University announced on April 17 that Esther Opoola, a doctoral student in molecular and cellular biology, has advanced to the second round of the Northeastern American Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS) regional Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.
The advancement follows Opoola’s victory in Stony Brook’s local 2026 3MT contest with her presentation titled “RSVP Required: Infections Denied Entry.” The regional event will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 22, from 2 pm to 4 pm. Winners from each NAGS member institution will compete for spots at the Council of Graduate Schools national competition.
The Three Minute Thesis competition challenges graduate students to present their dissertation research in just three minutes using only one slide and language suitable for a general audience. After her win at Stony Brook, Opoola said, “Research is only half of what we do. The other half is making sure people understand why it matters.”
Developed by The University of Queensland in Australia, the spoken word thesis contest aims to help students refine their communication skills and share their work without jargon while focusing on its main message.
Stony Brook University encourages students, faculty, and staff to support Opoola during the virtual event. Attendees can participate by voting for the People’s Choice Award after registering online for access to the Zoom link.
