Northern Michigan University graduate student Nathan Joyal, left, and NMU McNairs Scholar Adan Mulvaney are winners of Tuesday’s Three Minute Thesis competition at NMU. Presentations, which were limited to three minutes, involved explaining complicated subjects in that short timespan. (Journal photo by Christie Mastric)

By CHRISTIE MASTRIC

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — Cannabis, brain cancer, Scouting and biofuel sorghum were the topics presented by the winners in Tuesday’s Three Minute Thesis competition at Northern Michigan University.

NMU’s annual 3MT competition involves graduate students presenting their research in a condensed, layperson-friendly format in the Lydia M. Olson Library Atrium.

Winning the competition among graduate students was Nathan Joyal, who spoke on “Integrated Biology: A Study of the Relative Commercial Viability of Cannabis Indica in an ‘Organic Super-Soil’ Mycorrhizal Ecosystem.” Finishing second was Kristian Choate, whose presentation was titled “Biology: Lighting the Way to a Longer Life for Brain Cancer Patients with LAMP.”

Winning the competition among McNair Scholars was Adan Mulvaney, who spoke on “Communications: Female Identifying Youth in Scouting.” Abby Irish was runner-up with her presentation titled “Biology: How to Create a Better Biofuel Sorghum.”

The McNair Scholars Program at NMU works with students in completing their undergraduate requirements and track their progress toward completion of advanced degrees. The goal is to increase the number of students from underrepresented segments of society earning Ph.D. degrees.

Irish won the People’s Choice award for McNair Scholars while Megan Wells won the People’s Choice award for graduate students with her talk, “Psychology: Efficacy of Ketamine in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.”

“I just feel really honored that my ideas were well received and people were excited about my work,” said Joyal, who noted that it was a timely research subject that focused on organic “super-soil” using elements only found in nature.

“My goal is to show that while there may be a higher up-front cost in terms of yield per dollar spent, corporations are actually better off financially using an organic, sustainable method of farming versus the salt-based fertilizer we use today,” Joyal said.

Mulvaney said identity, dignity and gender were studied in her project, including traditional gender roles in the organization.

“Dignity is how worthy you feel,” she said.

Mulvaney also was excited that people liked her research, and said her work would continue.

“Keep on keeping on,” she said.

Candidates were limited to three minutes and one static PowerPoint slide to help them present their thesis. They competed for recognition, prizes and a spot in regional competition.

Students must actively be enrolled in a graduate program and must present original research. Northern began participating in the 3MT competition in 2018 and continues to expand its programming.

The University of Queensland developed 3MT in 2008. Its website states that the event “cultivates students’ academic, presentation and research communication skills. The competition supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.”

NMU’s competition is hosted by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research.

Other participants in Tuesday’s competition were graduate students Kenzie Grover, “Biology: The Mongolian Remodeling and the Structure of Host-Parasite Diversity Across Central Asia”; Collin Smith, “Biology: Characterizing Cancer: How We ID IDH1”; and Katelyn DeWitt, “Biology: Pollination Dispersal Patterns and Population Trends of Ram’s Head Lady’s Slipper in Grand Sable Dunes.”

Other McNair Scholars participants were Dominick Dotson, “Medicinal Plant Chemistry: The Effects of Datura metel on Honeybees” and Colton Gschwandtner, “Medicinal Plant Chemistry: Interrogation of CB1 and CB2 Receptor Signaling in Living Mammalian Cells.”

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.