Author: Michael

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) and Graduate Student Showcase

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As part of the 2026 Graduate Student Appreciation Week at the University of Connecticut, The Graduate School invites you to apply for and participate in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) and Graduate Student Showcase, an event that celebrates the impact, creativity, and purpose behind graduate students’ work through brief, engaging presentations for a general audience. The showcase will take place on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from 8:30am to 12:30pm at Konover Auditorium in The Dodd Center for Human Rights and is open to degree-seeking graduate students from all UConn campuses.

Application Deadline: Friday, February 6, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET

Goal of the Event:

For all degree-seeking graduate students at UConn to gain experience in communicating the significance of their work to a non-specialist audience in 3 minutes or less.

Timeline:

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Application opens
Friday, February 6, 2026 Application deadline for graduate students
Friday, February 20, 2026 Decisions made, graduate students notified
Friday, March 6, 2026 Creating Effective Presentations workshop
March 2-13, 2026 Individual feedback sessions
Wednesday, April 8, 2026 Final competition

Rules for the 3-minute presentation:

  • A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any description, the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration).
  • No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
  • No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
  • Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
  • Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps, or songs).
  • Presentations are to commence from the stage.
  • Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech.
  • The competition is judged by a panel of professionals with wide ranging academic and non-academic expertise.
  • The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Application opens soon.

Connect with The Graduate School on social media for updates and highlights from UConnGSAW26 on LinkedIn, Instagram, X (formally Twitter) and Facebook.

UConnGSAW26, We See You, We Appreciate You!

Grad Chat: Fall 2025

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Join the Director of Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Support, Kimberly Curry, for low-stakes conversations concerning the UConn Graduate Student Experience through GRADCHAT.

GRADCHAT is a relatively new forum for graduate students to discuss topics that impact the graduate school experience. The purpose of GRADCHAT is to foster community and connection among graduate students, especially students representing marginalized groups. From time to time, special guests may be featured in a GRADCHAT session, but GRADCHAT is one way we can have open dialog about issues that matter.

GRADCHATs are held virtually via Webex, and the link can be accessed HERE. Conversations will NOT be recorded. Graduate students across all regional campuses are encouraged to attend and connect!

Fall 2025 Dates/Topics:

  • October 3 – New Grad Students/First Gen Grad Students
    Topic: What is hiding in “The Hidden Curriculum?”
    Status: Completed
  • October 17 – Graduate Students with Disabilities (visible/invisible)
    Topic: How can we support one another?
    Status: Completed
  • October 31 – Graduate Students of Marginalized Groups
    Topic: What does it mean to be part of an underrepresented group in graduate school?
    Status: Completed
  • November 21 – Graduate Student Advising
    Topic: How important is the major advisor?
    Status: Completed
  • December 5 – The Greater Graduate Community
    Topic: What do you need to build community?
    This session is in collaboration with The Graduate School’s Network for Enriched Mentorship (NEM) initiative, where students in the program will be invited to share their experiences.
  • Status: Completed

We hope you will take advantage of this student-centered dialogue designed to provide support for one another, and do not forget to pass on the news to your colleagues.

Creating Effective Presentations: 11/13

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Leading up to Postdoc Research Day on December 11, 2025 (Student Union Theatre), University of Connecticut’s Postdoc Working Group, in collaboration with The Graduate School, invites all postdocs and graduate students to attend a workshop on Creating Effective Presentations, taught by Dr. Faye Assanah, Assistant Professor in Residence, UConn College of Engineering.  

This workshop will take place in Homer Babbidge Library, Room 2118C, Storrs Campus, on Thursday, November 13, 2025, from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM. 

What You’ll Learn: 

  • How to translate your research for a general audience 
  • Tips for oral presentations
  • Opportunities for graduate students to connect with current postdocs in related fields 

Who Should Attend: Postdocs, graduate students, and anyone interested in improving their presentation skills. Bring a friend or colleague when attending! 

Register Now

You can read more about Postdoc Research Day here, and if you plan to attend the December 11 program, please sign up here as an attendee. For any questions related to Postdoc Research Day or this event, please contact: Melanie V. Sinche, Director of Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Success, at Melanie.sinche@uconn.edu or Michael I. Nyarko, Graduate Assistant, at rdu25001work@uconn.edu 

Postdoc Research Day: 12/11/2025

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The University of Connecticut’s Postdoc Working Group, in partnership with The Graduate School, invites you to attend Postdoc Research Day. This one-day research event will be held in the Student Union Theater, Storrs Campus on Thursday, December 11, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM.

Goals for the Program:

  • Provide an opportunity for postdocs to present their research to a general audience.
  • Offer professional development training to prepare postdocs for the next steps in their careers.

As part of the event, 18 postdoctoral scholars presented their research in 3-minute talks designed for a general audience, and 8 additional postdocs presented posters.

The following postdocs received awards for their 3-minute talks:

  • First Place ($2,000 in research funding): Cao Thuy Giang Nguyen, Biomedical Engineering, “Innovative Material Platforms for Precision Therapeutics in Brain Tumors and Neurological Disorders”
  • Second Place ($500 in research funding): Shadi Izadidehkordi, Allied Health, “Preventing HIV among People Who Use Drugs in a Methadone Clinic”
  • People’s Choice Award ($500 in research funding): Hoang Quan Truong, Biomedical Engineering, “Novel Lipid-Based Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications”

Three postdoc winners

(Left to right: Shadi Izadidehkordi, Cao Thuy Giang Nguyen, Hoang Quan Truong)

The complete program, including the agenda, presentation titles, participating departments, and presenter information, is available in the event booklet. The booklet is available for viewing and download below.

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The general university community is invited to sign up for Postdoc Research Day. We encourage faculty, staff, and students to REGISTER HERE and attend in support of their postdocs.

Employers interested in connecting, exploring collaborations, and discovering talented postdoctoral researchers across diverse disciplines are encouraged to REGISTER HERE. 

Leading up to this event, The Graduate School is organizing a workshop titled “Creating Effective Presentations” for all postdocs and graduate students on November 13. This in-person session will be held from 4:30-6pm in 2118C Homer Babbidge Library and will be led by Dr. Faye Assanah. Click here for more details.

Additional details regarding directions and other resources will be shared with registrants soon. For questions about Postdoc Research Day, please contact: