Kinesiology’s Madeleine Orr and Morgan Betker awarded wins at CEHD’s Three Minute Thesis competition

image of Morgan Betker and Madelleine Orr, winners at the CEHD 2017 Three Minute Thesis contest
Betker, left, and Orr at 3MT competition

Madeleine Orr and Morgan Betker, Kinesiology Ph.D. candidates and finalists in CEHD’s Research Day Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, won prizes in the Finalist Competition held today, March 28, at the McNamara Alumni Center.

Orr (sport management emphasis, advised by Dr. Yuhei Inoue) was awarded the $500 first prize for her presentation, “The Rhetoric vs. the Reality of Sport Event Legacies.” Betker (exercise physiology emphasis, advised by Dr. Eric Snyder) won the $250 People’s Choice award for her presentation, “Cardiovascular Health and Occupational Stress in Police Officers.

The six finalists from five departments across the college had exactly 3 minutes to explain their research projects in an engaging and easy-to-understand format to a packed room in McNamara.

“Telling a compelling story about your research and its implications in less than 3 minutes is way harder than I thought it was going to be!” said Orr after the event. “But to represent Kinesiology with Morgan, and come away with such great results, was a great experience.”

Betker says, “As researchers, we don’t often get the opportunity to share our passion with people outside of our niche, nor hear others’ perspectives in their chosen emphasis. This competition was an excellent way to not only challenge ourselves and grow professionally, but to broaden our perspectives and find value in the work of fellow graduate students in other fields. I’m very grateful to have been a part of the experience.”

3MT is a worldwide competition that was introduced by the University of Queensland in 2008. This is the second year the college has held the event as part of CEHD Research Day. Judges for today’s event were Karen Kaler, University Associate; Mary Tjosvold, local entrepreneur, author, and humanitarian, and CEHD alumna; and Dr. John Wright, professor of African American and African Studies in the College of Liberal Arts.