A&T Announces Fall 2025 Three-Minute Thesis Competition Winners

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Nov. 19, 2025) – The Graduate College at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has announced the winners of its Fall 2025 Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition.

The 3MT Competition asks graduate students to present their master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation research to a general audience in just three minutes and with only one PowerPoint slide. Joining N.C. A&T Interim Provost Catherine Edmonds, Ed.D., ’92 as VIP judges were N.C. Reps. Frances Jackson ‘84 and Amos Quick.

Earning first place was Rutujaa Kulkarni, who is pursuing a doctorate in nanoengineering, with “From Lawn to Lunchbox: Growing the Future of Packaging.”

Second-place winner was Brandon Bell, who is pursuing an M.S. in nanoengineering, with “Milk Extracellular Vesicles for Enhanced Wound Repair.”

Eden Argaw, who is pursuing an M.S. in chemistry, placed third with “Clay that Creates Fuel: A New Path to Green Energy.”

Anai Robinson, who is pursuing a doctorate in applied science and technology, received people’s choice honors for “Examining the Effectiveness of a Motivational-Influenced Metacognitive Intervention on Undergraduate Freshmen Biology Students.”

This year’s winners and their advisors will be honored at a graduate student awards luncheon in April 2026.

Kulkarni will represent N.C. A&T at the regional 3MT competition during the spring meeting of the Conference of Southern Graduate School, Feb. 18-20, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Ten finalists competed Nov. 12 before an audience of students, faculty, administrators and invited guests at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN) Auditorium in the Gateway Research Park South Campus.

The finalists were chosen from among 45 registered master’s and doctoral student contestants who applied to compete and the 35 who participated in a preparatory workshop before a preliminary round held Nov. 5.

This competition is one of The Graduate College’s professional development initiatives. The finals are co-hosted by The Graduate College, The Graduate Student Association and JSNN.

For more information about 3MT, contact Re’Shanda Grace-Bridges, Ph.D., assistant dean of Professional Development and Student Engagement for The Graduate College, at rgracebridges@ncat.edu or 336-285-2366.