After recently taking home second place in the regional competition of the “3 Minute Thesis” competition, Erica Graham, who attends classes at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) to earn her Ph.D. degree in nanoscale engineering, earned a spot in the National 3MT competition.

Hosted by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), the event required her to provide a live version of her 3MT presentation, (this regional presentation begins at 1:35:46) alongside eight winners and runner-ups from other North American regional competitions. She also participated in a virtual roundtable with other students to discuss their experiences preparing for the event.

In lieu of judges and 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place designations, the national competition’s only vote was for "People's Choice.”  After more than 200 audience members cast their ballots, Erica received the most votes and won the People’s Choice Award along with a $2,000 prize.

“It was an honor to have represented my university on a national level at such a prestigious event. I think this achievement serves as a testament to the hard work faculty and staff put into preparing students like me for the next phase of their professional career”.

Read more about her regional 3MT competition win here.