Paulsen wins top prize at Graduate Student 90-Second Thesis Competition

Bioengineering graduate student Samantha Paulsen won the Grand Prize at the fourth annual Graduate Student 90-Second Thesis Competition March 11 for her presentation on “3-D Printing to Launch Drug Discovery.” She received $500 plus a $500 travel award from the Graduate Student Association (GSA).

Computer science graduate student Xian Fan gives a 90-second presentation about her research. (Photo by Jeff Fitlow)

The competition, held in Duncan Hall’s McMurtry Auditorium, gave nearly 40 graduate students an opportunity to tell the audience about their research and its significance during a 90-second pitch. A large panel of volunteer judges rated each participant on the content of the message and how it was presented. Bioengineering graduate student Sydney Gibson, last year’s winner of the Grand Prize and Audience Choice awards, served as master of ceremonies.

Bioengineering graduate student Eric Yang took second place for his presentation, “Seeing Oral Cancer in a New Light.” He received $400.

Third place went to bioengineering graduate student Gisele Calderon for “3-D Printing Blood Vessels: A New Hope.” She received $300 for that prize, and she also won the Audience Choice Award, which came with a $500 travel award from the GSA.

Bioengineering graduate student Catherine Majors won $200 for the Best in Engineering Award for “Low-cost, Portable Device for Performing a White Blood Cell Count.”

History graduate student Blake Earle won $200 for the Best in Humanities Award for “In Cod We Trust: Fish and Nation in American History.”

Biochemistry and cell biology graduate student Yasmin Chebaro won $200 for the Best in Natural Sciences Award for “Candida Albicans Adaptation to Stress.”

Sociology graduate student Lynn Fahey won $200 for the Best in Sociology Award for “Head Starts: The Link Between Childhood and Health Outcomes.”

Winners of the Graduate Student 90-Second Thesis Competition are (from left) Catherine Majors, Blake Earle, Yasmin Chebaro, Lynn Fahey, Gisele Calderon, Eric Yang and Samantha Paulsen. (Photo by Josh Hill)