Big Ideas in Three Minutes: CMU Doctoral Students Share Research Shaping the Future

By Sarah Bender

Carnegie Mellon University’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) pits doctoral students against the clock and each other to explain complex research and captivate their audience in just three minutes. Ten finalists will compete in the 2026 3MT Championship at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, in the Cohon University Center’s McConomy Auditorium. A livestream will also be available.

Now in its 11th year at Carnegie Mellon, 3MT is a celebration of research that challenges Ph.D. students to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance in language that anyone can understand. Developed by The University of Queensland in Australia, the competition was brought to Pittsburgh by Helen and Henry Posner, Jr. Dean of Libraries Keith Webster in 2013. Since then, CMU doctoral candidates have joined students at over 900 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide in sharing their work with broad audiences through the competition.

Finalist Mary Anna Ebbert believes that communicating research to audiences of all backgrounds is just as important as the research itself. The College of Engineering Ph.D. student, who is studying mechanical engineering, has wanted to participate in 3MT since her first year at CMU for the opportunity to help more people connect with her work.

“Sharing our work allows us to convey the future we are working to create and to have a conversation with the world about the impacts it may have — before it leaves the lab,” she said.

Ebbert’s research is focused on developing a small-scale, mobile system that can generate hydrogen – a lightweight, high-energy fuel – from seawater to power marine unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This system contains a deionization unit, which completely removes the salt from seawater, and an electrolyzer, which splits the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

“When the system is scaled up, it will essentially be a mobile, suitcase-sized refueling station that can be carried aboard any ship, extending the range of UAVs while allowing us to use seawater and renewable electricity to generate fuel,” she explained.

For finalist Sunreeta Bhattacharya, who is part of the Neuroscience Institute, the competition was a great chance to find the right language to communicate the impact of his research.

“3MT is a great opportunity for me to take a step back from my day-to-day research to think about some broader-level impacts of my research in society, and how society should view my work in light of things they care about,” he said. “Everyone agrees that brains are fascinating, but it can be surprisingly difficult to talk about the way that brains actually work.”

Specifically, Bhattacharya’s presentation talks about cognitive flexibility — the ability to adapt our thinking when the usual strategies don't work. His research asks how the brain makes smart decisions even in an uncertain and constantly changing world, with implications for how students learn in classrooms.

“We know that the brain learns more from prediction errors, since mistakes generate stronger learning signals than successes,” he explained. “This suggests that classrooms aiming for learning and not just performance on tests should actively encourage trial-and-error learning and exploration, even if it means failing on some attempts. The objective would be to reward the attempt and not just the outcome.”

For finalist Ruihan Gao, a School of Computer Science student in the Robotics Institute, nonspecialists are an important part of her research. She uses high-resolution sensors, essentially digital fingertips, to teach AI what physical textures actually feel like and to enable AI to generate realistic tactile experiences.

“Ultimately, we design technology for the general public, so it is vital that we hear from them,” she said. “Communicating with a broad audience provides a feedback loop that helps us think deeper about why we are doing this research and how we can help people better.”

In the world of e-commerce, Gao’s research could revolutionize shopping by allowing people to feel the woven texture of a sweater or the grain of a leather bag directly on their screens. It’s also a game-changer for accessibility.

“While current AI technology is impressive, the future of AI shouldn't be limited to a flat, glass screen,” she explained. “My work allows AI to turn any text prompt or image into a tactile graphic — a 3D-printed surface that allows blind and low-vision individuals to explore visual information through their hands. I want the audience to see that by giving AI the sense of touch, we are making it more inclusive and better suited to the way humans actually experience life.”

At the championship, judges will choose the first-, second- and third-place winners to receive $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. Two audience-selected winners will receive $500 for the People’s Choice Award and $750 for the Alumni Award.

Alumni can watch the competition via the livestream, where they can vote to select the Alumni Award winner.

The Three Minute Thesis Championship is free of charge and open to the public. Registration is required to attend the in-person event or to view the livestream.

---