Queen鈥檚 PhD candidate wins Matariki 3MT contest

Queen鈥檚 PhD candidate wins Matariki 3MT contest

By Communications Staff

November 10, 2020

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Sean Marrs presents during Matariki Network of Universities Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.
Sean Marrs presents on his research into state surveillance in 18th century Paris during the Matariki Network of Universities Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

Sean Marrs, a PhD candidate in the Department of History, has won the Matariki Network of Universities Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

Marrs鈥檚 research delves into state surveillance in 18th century Paris and his 3MT presentation connects it to modern day anti-espionage efforts and even COVID-19 tracking.

Marrs was one of 10 presenters taking part in the second annual competition between Queen鈥檚, Durham University, University of Otago, and University of Western Australia. The virtual competition was judged by a panel of experts from across the international network.

鈥淭he Matariki 3MT brings together the best presenters from several universities across three continents, so winning was unexpected,鈥 Marrs says. 鈥淭he process has been equal parts fun and challenging. Presenting the significance of your research to a broad audience in only three minutes is a unique prospect. The 3MT forces you to define what is most important about your research and why it resonates with a public audience. It is a challenge like no other.鈥

First developed by Australia鈥檚 University of Queensland in 2008, the  (3MT) challenges graduate students to communicate the significance of their projects to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes.

Queen鈥檚 was also represented by (PhD candidate, Chemistry) and (Master鈥檚, School Computing). All three participated in the Queen鈥檚 Three Minute Thesis competition earlier this year, where Santilli took first place, followed by Marrs. The recordings from this event were submitted to the Matariki event.

鈥淭he 3MT has become a familiar, well-established event at Queen鈥檚 and the expansion of 3MT to include our Matariki partners in Australia, New Zealand and the UK for the second year is an exciting opportunity to share research and to consider its impact,鈥 says Sandra den Otter, Vice Provost (International).

Through its membership in the Matariki Nework, Queen鈥檚 students, faculty, and staff have access to a variety of opportunities to share their research, experiences, and knowledge while also hearing from peers from around the world.

Second place went to Olivia Johnston of UWA, and Otago鈥檚 Victoria Purdy claimed the People鈥檚 Choice award. Each participant鈥檚 presentation is available on the .

The Matariki Network of Universities is an international group of leading, research intensive universities, each among the most historic in its own country. Along with Queen鈥檚, members include: Dartmouth College (U.S.); Durham University (UK); University of Otago (New Zealand); Tubingen University (Germany); Uppsala University (Sweden); and University of Western Australia. The network celebrated its 10th anniversary early this year.

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