Eight contestants from eight universities east on Ontario gathered at AV俱乐部 Thursday night for the first ever Eastern Regional Three-Minute Thesis Competition.
The students, each selected as standouts from their respective institutions, vied for cash prizes and a spot in the national competition at the end of May. AV俱乐部 Psychology student Th茅r猫se Chevalier, who won Dal鈥檚 competition back in March, represented the university, presenting her research on using magnetic stimulation on the brain to consider the potential of learning a second language as an aphasia treatment.
Prior to this year, Three-Minute Thesis competitions were only held at individual schools, but this year the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies has brought schools together to organize both regional competitions and a national showdown. AV俱乐部鈥檚 Faculty of Graduate Studies stepped up to host the Eastern event, featuring contestants from universities in Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
As with the AV俱乐部 competition, the students at the Eastern Regional Competition were judged not on their research, but on communication style, comprehension and engagement of the audience. This both highlights the goals of the competition and puts entrants from all fields on equal footing.
Judges for the Eastern Regional Competition were Olga Milosevich (retired CBC host), Richard Isnor (Atlantic Regional Office, NSERC) and Jason Zhu (Ernst and Young).
Each candidate put their best foot forward in three short minutes, knowing their performance would determine not only who would advance from the regional competition, but who might prevail at nationals. The national competition will be a virtual one, based on the videos of the top performances from each region.
A showcase of ideas
The presentations covered a range of topics, from a variety of disciplines. Emerging in first place was Kirk Luther from Memorial University, who presented his research on the impact of police interviewing techniques on the reliability of evidence from children. Beyond impressive communication skills, Luther鈥檚 presentation conveyed a commitment to engagement and practical application outside the competition. 聽
鈥淭he reality is that sometimes children are the only victims or witnesses of crime,鈥� Luther explained. 鈥淢y research is helping change the way police officers interview children鈥� my goal is to enhance child interviewing practices all across the country.鈥�
Second place winner Sherin Al-Safadi鈥檚 research also had clear practical application, drawing connections between the human circadian and stress systems. 鈥淲e know a lot about these systems individually, but what we don鈥檛 know a lot about is the cross talk between them,鈥� the Concordia University student told the audience. 鈥淲ouldn鈥檛 you like a good night鈥檚 sleep during stressful times without having to count more sheep?鈥�
Third Place winner Kyle Massia from Saint Mary鈥檚 University analyzed the significance of Ampelmann, the East German crosswalk symbol turned cultural icon. 鈥淚n the transition from state socialism to western capitalism many aspects of the past were left behind; one of these was Ampelmann,鈥� says Massia. 鈥淏y the mid-90s, attitudes towards the old East German state had changed and Ampelmann was brought back鈥� East Germans began to remember their past differently. Now their old state could appear friendly, creative, and safe.鈥�
The top three competitors will all move on to the national competition, the results of which will be announced on June 12. AV俱乐部鈥檚 Th茅r猫se Chevalier was also named an honourable mention at the event.
Judging the finalists' videos for the national prize will be John Polanyi (Nobel Laureat and University of Toronto Chemistry professor), Kady O鈥橫alley (CBC journalist) and Noreen Golfman (president of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies).
The importance of the underlying theme of the competition touched on by organizers, judges and competitors alike.
鈥淲e need to get out there 鈥� out of academia 鈥� and get the word out,鈥� Luther commented after the competition. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about the application, talking to the people that the research can help, in an accessible way.鈥�