The chance to win funding for research brought together graduate students from across the University of Idaho.
Students gathered for a three-minute thesis competition, an international event normally held at research universities, said Jerry McMurtry, dean of the College of Graduate Studies.
The event was used to help students prepare to talk about their research topics to people not in their field, McMurtry said.
There where several categories the students could win, with separate categories for graduate and doctorate students.
McMurtry said presentation slots are open to graduate students in their last semester and doctorial students through their pre-exams.
Paola Branco won the people’s choice award and earned first place in the three-minute graduate presentation.
Branco researches elephants in Mozambique with her mentor Ryan Long. Branco said she uses bees to keep elephants from eating the local farmers’ crops.
For doctorate students, the people’s choice award went to Cary Lindsey, who researches the Yellowstone Caldera.
The second-place award for three-minute thesis went to Daniel Kral. Kral said his project deals with using rhythmic timing to help people with Parkinson’s disease.
The first-place award for doctorate students went to Megan Ruffley, who studies how evolution has been influenced by distance.
Kali Nelson can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @kalinelson6