College of Communication and Information doctoral students Byron Keys and Md Uzzal Talukder rose to the challenge of quickly distilling their research as part of this year’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition hosted by the Graduate School at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Both Keys and Talukder, who are conducting doctoral research at CCI with a focus on journalism and media, competed in the 2025 3MT final competition on November 19 after advancing from preliminary rounds earlier in the semester.
“I found the overall experience enjoyable and educational,” Keys said. “It offered a valuable opportunity to learn how different disciplines approach research. I hope to use this experience to find different ways to present my research to various audiences without leaving out key details.”
The 3MT competition challenges students to share their research in three minutes, using only one slide, to an audience of university faculty, staff, students, and a panel of judges. The competition was originally developed in 2008 at the University of Queensland in Australia but has since been widely adopted at universities around the world.
“Competing in the 3MT was a truly enriching experience,” Talukder said. “Condensing complex research into a clear and engaging three-minute presentation challenged me to think critically about what matters most to my audience. It was both exciting and intellectually stimulating.”
Keys’ research, Exploring Self-Sexualization, Body Positivity, and Empowerment in Black Women’s Social Media Posts: A Black Feminist Standpoint Analysis, aims to deepen the public’s understanding of why adult Black women post photos and statuses that are often viewed as self-sexualizing and self-objectifying on social media.
“By focusing on the experiences of Black women, I hope to develop stronger theories about their empowerment, sexual expression, and how abusive comments affect their social media posts,” Keys said. “This research strives to offer a comprehensive view of the culture rather than just isolated elements.”
Talukder’s research, Exploring the Communication Gap in Academia: Translating Research Insights to Reach the Public, focuses on how research findings often remain within academic circles and proposes using AI-supported translation frameworks to help make academic research more understandable and impactful for general audiences.
Both Keys and Talukder recommend other PhD students consider competing in future 3MT competitions. Talukder said the competition is an excellent opportunity for professional development and pushes researchers to view their work from a broader perspective.
“This experience has helped me strengthen my ability to translate research findings into concise, accessible messages for non-academic audiences,” Talukder said. “I plan to apply this approach to future conference presentations, stakeholder engagement, and public communication efforts.”