Three minutes to make you care

By Krista Baliko

The eight U of R grad students who competed in this year's 3MT competition. (Photo by Trevor Hopkin)

Three minutes. One slide. Eight finalists.

That’s the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. An opportunity that challenges graduate students to take their complex research and make it understandable to a general audience.

The goal? To ignite your curiosity.  To make you care. And to win cash prizes and the honour of representing the U of R at the Western Regional 3MT competition.

Last night, eight University of Regina graduate students took to the stage at Darke Hall to compete in this internationally recognized event. The competition challenges thesis-based graduate students to communicate their research clearly, engagingly, and accessibly to a general audience, using only one static slide

Judges from the community evaluated presentations across three categories: communication, engagement, and comprehension. They considered how clearly students explained their research question and its significance, how effectively they shared outcomes and impact, and how engaging and accessible their presentations were.

The audience then cast their votes for a People’s Choice Award winner.

The three winners of the University of Regina’s 3MT competition, L to R: Rafael Grajales, Kamogelo Amanda Matebekwane, Rebekah Corpuz (Photo by Trevor Hopkin)
The three winners of the University of Regina’s 3MT competition, L to R: Rafael Grajales, Kamogelo Amanda Matebekwane, Rebekah Corpuz (Photo by Trevor Hopkin)

After an inspiring evening of compelling research, three students rose to the top:

1st Place: Kamogelo Amanda Matebekwane is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education. Her presentation was: Present yet Invisible: The Realities of African Children in Canadian Classrooms.

2nd Place: Rebekah Corpuz is a PhD student in the Department of Experimental & Applied Psychology. Her presentation was: Will You Remember Me: The Relationship Between Confidence and Accuracy When Learning a New Face.

3rd Place and People’s Choice Winner: Rafael Grajales is a Master’s student in biology. His presentation was: Root rot complex, the silent enemy of pulses in Canadian prairies.

Kamogelo Amanda Matebekwane will represent the University of Regina at the Western Regional 3MT Competition, taking place at Darke Hall on May 4th.  The top presenters from that competition will advance to the National 3MT Showcase, hosted by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies.

Kamogelo Amanda Matebekwane will now represent the University of Regina at the Western Regional 3MT Competition on May 4th at Darke Hall. (Photo by Trevor Hopkin)
Kamogelo Amanda Matebekwane will now represent the University of Regina at the Western Regional 3MT Competition on May 4th at Darke Hall. (Photo by Trevor Hopkin)

For Dr. Aziz Douai, the 3MT competition is about more than the results.

“3MT highlights the exceptional calibre of research being undertaken by University of Regina graduate students, as well as their ability to communicate that work with clarity and purpose,” says Douai. “It is especially rewarding to see students embrace the challenge of making complex ideas accessible beyond academic audiences. The presentations this evening reflected not only scholarly excellence, but a genuine commitment to sharing knowledge in ways that resonate and make a difference.”

Although the winners received cash prizes, the real victory was shared: eight researchers who proved that knowledge doesn’t have to be locked behind complexity to be powerful. And sometimes, three minutes is all it takes to change how someone sees the world.

The clock may stop at 180 seconds. But the impact doesn’t.

Check out this video for highlights from the University of Regina 3MT 2026 competition:

The eight finalists who competed at this year’s competition:

  1. Rebekah Corpuz is a PhD student in the Department of Experimental & Applied Psychology. Her presentation was: Will You Remember Me: The Relationship Between Confidence and Accuracy When Learning a New Face.
  2. Agustin D'Alessandro is a Master’s student in the math department. His presentation was: Cracking the Infinity.
  3. Rafael Grajales is a Master’s student in biology. His presentation was: Root rot complex, the silent enemy of pulses in Canadian prairies.
  4. Farzan Khan is a Master’s student in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. His presentation was: Build Without the Guilt: Carbon-Neutral 3D Printing in Construction.
  5. Maegan Krajewski is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology and Social Studies. Her presentation was: The Human and More-than-Human Community in Community Gardens.
  6. Kamogelo Amanda Matebekwane is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education. Her presentation was: Present Yet Invisible: The Realities of African Children in Canadian Classrooms.
  7. Jaclyn Roach is a Master’s student in the Faculty of Education. Her presentation was: Before the burnout: Preparing future teachers for the field.
  8. Tim Yu is a Master’s student in the Psychology Department. His presentation was: Effective Pain Assessment Tools for All.
About the author

Krista Baliko is the U of R’s research communications strategist.