UNIVERSITY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Graduate student in engineering wins 2024 UPEI 3-Minute Thesis competition

Ant-inspired robots, the experiences of temporary foreign workers on PEI, and modelling for energy efficiency cost savings for property owners were the focus of prize-winning 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) presentations by UPEI graduate students on April 11, 2024.

The 3MT competition challenges graduate students to explain their thesis within three minutes and in a format that a general audience can understand. The winner earns a place at the regional 3MT competition in Quebec City on June 7, and the top three presenters receive prize money.

Dr. Greg Naterer, UPEI Vice-President, Academic and Research, congratulates the winners of the recent UPEI 3-Minute Thesis competition. Eliza MacLauchlan (left) won second place; Noushad Ahamed Chittoor Mohammed (second from right) third place; and Duy Nguyen (right) first place.

Seven graduate students presented an overview of their thesis research to judges, friends, fellow graduate students, faculty, and staff. They highlighted their research questions, methods, results, and the potential current and future impacts of their research.

Duy Nguyen, an MSc in Sustainable Design Engineering student, won first prize for his presentation "When Ants Inspire Robots: Engineering Swarm Intelligence for the Future of Collaborative Object Transportation." He will represent UPEI at the regional competition.

Nguyen's research involved the use of multiple mobile robots to transport goods in daily life settings, such as heavy objects in factories and warehouses. Earlier this year, he won the Best Student Paper Award for this project during the 16th IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration held in Vietnam.

Eliza MacLauchlan, a Master of Arts in Island Studies student, took second place for her presentation about the experiences of temporary foreign workers on PEI. Noushad Ahamed Chittoor Mohammed, an MSc in Sustainable Design Engineering student, won third for his presentation about modelling for energy efficiency cost savings for property owners.

Judging the presentations were Dr. Greg Naterer, Vice-President, Academic and Research; Dr. Marva Sweeney-Nixon, Associate Vice-President Research and Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies; and Maria Steele, Manager of Research Services.

Congratulations to all participants!