The 10th annual Georgia Tech Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition took place on April 4, where 12 scholars presented their groundbreaking research in just three minutes using a language appropriate for a non-specialist audience  After five preliminary rounds and a riveting final round, four graduate students were named winners, each earning a research travel grant to support their continued academic journey.  

Congratulations to the 2025 Three Minute Thesis Winners: 

Master's Winner 

Sai Shreeya Yara, Materials Science and Engineering 

Molten Salt Reactors – A Way to Harness Nuclear Energy Safely 

The master’s category winner won a $1,000 research travel grant. 

Overall Ph.D. Winner 

Sakshi Sharma, Materials Science and Engineering 

From Rigid to Bendable: Solar Panels for Surfaces Around Us 

First Runner Up 

Tawfik Hussein, Biomedical Engineering 

Using MRI and the Heart’s Stiffness to Catch Heart Failure Red-handed 

Second Runner Up  

Kristian Lockyear, Mechanical Engineering 

Cooling with Heat: Using a Novel Refrigeration Cycle to Prevent Food Spoilage 

The overall Ph.D. winner won a $2,000 research travel grant. The first runner-up won a $1,500 research travel grant, and the second runner-up won a $1,000 runner-up grant. 

Ph.D. student Marc Koerschner won the coveted People's Choice award, which was rewarded with a $500 research travel grant. 

Georgia Tech’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition served as the grand finale of Graduate Student Appreciation Week (GSAW), a weeklong celebration recognizing and honoring the incredible contributions of our graduate students to the campus community. Organized by the Office of Graduate Education, 3MT is made possible through collaboration with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), the Communication Center, and the Language Institute. 

For more details about this year’s competition and the winning presentations, visit grad.gatech.edu/3mt.