2013-2014

News Release

REF NO.: 126

SUBJECT: Memorial grad student competing for national honours

DATE: May 23, 2014

Memorial University’s own Kirk Luther is one of 11 finalists currently competing in Canada’s first ever Three Minute Thesis (3MT) national competition.
The contest pits some of the country’s brightest minds against each other to present the complexities of their research in an engaging and accessible way – in three minutes or less. The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) has organized the event as a skill-building opportunity for graduate students and also as a way to publically showcase the importance and relevance of graduate studies.
Mr. Luther, a PhD student in the Department of Psychology, won top honours at Memorial’s 3MT competition and at the Eastern Regional competition held last month at Dalhousie University.
 “Kirk’s topic of child interviewing practices is intriguing and he captivates the audience with ease,” said Dr. Faye Murrin, associate dean, School of Graduate Studies at Memorial. “He clearly demonstrates a passion for his research in the Department of Psychology and is an excellent representative of the outstanding research our graduate students are conducting here at Memorial.”
The national winner will be chosen by a judges panel made up of Nobel laureate Dr. John Polanyi, journalist Kady O’Malley, and former CAGS president Dr. Doug Peers.  
In addition, a People’s Choice winner will also be recognized based on the number of votes they’ve received online. A video of Mr. Luther’s presentation, along with the other 10 finalists, is available at www.cags.ca/3mt/3mt_videos.php.
The public can vote for the finalist they feel combines the best clarity and relevance. Voting closes June 2 with both winners being announced on June 12.

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