CFANS graduate students speak clearly during Three Minute Thesis competition

On Monday, graduate students across the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) stepped up to the mic for a College-wide 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition.

With just 180 seconds, a single static slide, and zero room for jargon, 12 talented competitors representing 8 graduate programs took on the ultimate science communication challenge. Each presenter translated complex research into engaging, accessible stories — showcasing the breadth of discovery taking place at CFANS.

Congratulations to our winners!

• First place: Sophie Schneblin (Food Science)
• Second place: Adebisi Adeleke (Applied Plant Sciences)
• Third place: Lovepreet Singh (Applied Plant Sciences)

Sophie's presentation, titled "From Green to Protein" received the highest score, landing her in first place. She will go on to compete against other college winners at the University-wide Three Minute Thesis competition on Friday, November 13, 2026 at 10 a.m. in Coffman Memorial Union Theater (Room 100). Best of luck, Sophie!

Special thanks to our judges

A competition of this caliber wouldn't be possible without the generous time, expertise, and thoughtful feedback of our judging panel: 

• Marcia Endres, Professor, Animal Science
• Annie Harvieux, Communications and Relations Coordinator, Plant Pathology
• Holly Menninger, Executive Director, Bell Museum
• Margaret Wagner, Manager, Fertilizer Section, Minnesota Department of Agriculture