OSHAWA, Ont. – Emmeline Meens-Miller (women's rowing) and Danielle Bates (dancing) were named winners this week as part of Ontario Tech University's 10^th annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.
 
Three Minute Thesis is a university-wide competition for graduate students in which participants present their research and its wider impact in three minutes or less to a panel of non-specialist judges. The challenge is to present complex research in an engaging, accessible and compelling way, using only one static slide. 
 
Meens-Miller was named the overall winner for her presentation Identifying Salivary Cytokines Associated with Prolonged Sitting. A Masters of Health Science student, Meens-Miller's research is in the area of sedentary physiology – how the body responds to sitting.
 
"I am very proud of my presentation and the research I am doing," she said. "Getting to compete against other graduate students allowed me to learn more about the other amazing research occurring at Ontario Tech. The recognition of winning 3MT is very valuable. The other participants were tough competition, so it is rewarding to be recognized for my dedication and hard work. I am excited to represent Ontario Tech at the regional competition and have the opportunity to share my research with a larger audience."
 
Her study uses saliva samples to test for markers of inflammation. It focuses on identifying salivary biomarkers that are affected by prolonged periods of sitting versus interrupted periods of sitting. Condensing her thesis into three minutes was a fun challenge and positive experience.
 
"Condensing my thesis into three minutes, in a format that was applicable to individuals outside of my area of study was challenging.  It was important for me to convey the concepts of my thesis in a way that everyone could understand and that they could relate to the importance of answering my research questions."
 
Bates, also a Masters of Health Science student, was the People's Choice Award winner for her presentation Moving Towards Inclusive and Engaging Physical Education for Girls. Her qualitative research study explores the professional development needs of teachers to teach inclusive and engaging physical education for girls.
 
The purpose of her research is to develop recommendations for future professional development opportunities that will support physical education teaching practices that are inclusive and engaging for girls.
 
"I am very happy to have won the People's Choice Award. The fact that my message and research has resonated with some people further reminds me why my research is so important," said Bates. "Grad studies are fast paced and it's easy to forget how far you've come, so today I am taking a moment to be proud of myself."
 
Like Meens-Miller, Bates also enjoyed the format of 3MT and the ability to share her research in a fast-paced format. Finding a way to convey everything in three minutes was the biggest challenge, but was an enjoyable experience.  
 
"I am really passionate about my research, so being able to share the reasons why I am doing what I am doing and connect with people through my research, was a great experience," said Bates. "I feel strongly that more needs to be done to address gender bias in sport and physical education and I am grateful for the 3MT platform to be able to share that with the community."