SAY IT IN THREE!

SBU 3MT AND POSTDOC SPOTLIGHT

Digital Program

Friday, March 13, 2026

10 am to 3 pm

Student Activities Center

COMPETITION AGENDA

10 am

Welcome and ground rules

Sac Auditorium

- David A Rubenstein, PhD, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Graduate School
- Sai Abasolo, Graduate Student, Biomedical Engineering
- Celia Marshik, PhD, Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education
- Carl W Lejuez, PhD, Executive Vice President and Provost
- Andrea Goldsmith, PhD, President
- Molly Lotz, PhD, Director, Research Training Initiatives, Graduate School

10:20 am

3MT RounD 1

David A Rubenstein, PhD, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Graduate School

11:30 am

LuNCH

SAC Ballroom B and Shore Club

12:15 pm

Postdoc spotlight round

SAC Auditorium

Lisa Ospitale, Program Manager, Center for Inclusive Education

1:15 pm

3mt round 2

David A Rubenstein, PhD, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Graduate School

2:15 pm

People's Choice Voting and Awards Ceremony

2:30 pm

Awards Ceremony and closing

- Mónica Bugallo, PhD, Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation
- Neil H Butterklee, JD, Alumni Association President

2:45 pm

Dessert reception

SAC Ballroom B

MEET THE COMPETITORS

Speakers are listed in order of their talks.

ABOUT 3MT

Stony Brook joins an international community of Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competitions, where doctoral candidates across disciplines present their dissertation research findings to a general audience in three minutes with one slide.

Our goal is for SBU graduate students to engage all their communication skills to make their research vivid and engaging while emphasizing its key points without jargon or distortion. Student competitors have received specialized coaching on their presentations from the nationally-renowned Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science.

The competition also features a Postdoc Spotlight round, showcasing the innovative and invaluable research contributions of Stony Brook postdocs.

Speakers are evaluated by independent panels of faculty, staff, student and alumni judges on two criteria.

Judging Criteria

Criterion 01

Comprehension
and Content

Was the presentation clear and logical? Did it present the significance and findings of the research in an accessible way that would be clear to non-specialists?

10Points

Criterion 02

Engagement
and Communication

Did the presenter capture the audience's attention and leave them wanting to know more? Did the presenter present their work without distortion or trivialisation? Did the presenter convey enthusiasm, presence, and confidence?

10Points

3MT competitors with the top 8 scores from Round 1 will advance to Round 2. Round 2 competitors will be announced during the break following Round 1. Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place in 3MT Round 2 and the Postdoc Spotlight round, as well as a People's Choice Award voted on by the audience.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank You to Our Judges

Sai Aishwarya Abasolo, Maryam Azmi, Raymond Blackwell, Neil Butterklee, Shelley Catalano, Lars Ehm, Jean Hendrickson, Lori Kie, Elizabeth Ann Moon, Jonathan Plessis-Belair, Tara Rider, Susan Scheckel, Margaret Schedel, Ankita Singh, Lissa Soares

Thank You to Our Volunteers

Brandon Banarsi, Ally Brasino, Vernon Caldwell, Diana Champney, Ishrat Jahan Dollan, Katie Flood, Irene Huang, Gianna Juliano, Sophia Lockhart, Ivy Ma, Dana McIntyre, Patrick Moloney, Lisa Ospitale, Sebastian Parente, Nicole Peters, Jessica Roman, David Rubenstein, Ashley Staples, Alexandra Walling, Grace Wivell

THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS

SBU Career
Center

Research
And Innovation

SBU Alumni
Association

Center For
Excellence
In Learning
And Teaching

Stony Brook
Graduate Student
Organization