Engineering PhD student takes top prize at 3MT Finals
![Three PhD students stand together on a stage. Behind them is a blue screen with the word CONGRATULATIONS on it.](https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/3MT-finals_March262024_web-1200x300.jpeg)
Pictured left to right: Emaad Paracha, Daniil Lisus and Angel Badewole (photo by Brian Desrosiers-Tam)
The winners are in and Daniil Lisus’s presentation “Helping Autonomous Cars See What Our Eyes Can’t” came out on top at the University of Toronto’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) finals. The annual competition took place Tuesday, March 26 in a packed William Doo Auditorium, where the PhD student from the Institute of Aerospace Studies also took home the people’s choice award.
Emaad Paracha, a PhD student from the Department of Physics, presented on detecting dark matter in the stratosphere, which earned him a second-place finish. Third place went to PhD student Angel Badewole from the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, who spoke about evaluating environmental impacts of chemical production pathways.
Over 150 graduate researchers from across U of T applied to participate in this year’s 3MT®. The annual competition challenges graduate students to communicate their research projects to a generalist audience in just three minutes with only a single, static presentation slide for support. The competition takes place over several months from initial registration and a preparation workshop to the preliminary heats, semi-finals and culminating event for the 12 finalists. A cross-disciplinary judging panel selects the first, second and third place winners, while the people’s choice award goes to the audience favourite.
The winner of the U of T competition competes at the provincial competition in early May and may also have an opportunity to present nationally and internationally.
Congratulations Daniil, Emaad and Angel, and to all the 2024 3MT participants!
Watch Daniil’s winning presentation.