The winner of this year’s Three Minute Thesis competition at the University of Windsor is examining how supercomputers can be used to combat superbugs.

Chemistry and biochemistry master’s student Travis DeWolfe took home the $1,000 top prize and will represent the University at the provincial final, April 12 at the University of Waterloo.

“I’m just kind of flabbergasted, really,” DeWolfe said following the competition. “All of the competitors here were fantastic and so to watch them all and hear my name announced was surreal.”

The competition saw 12 graduate students present their thesis, major research paper or dissertation topic in under three minutes and with the use of a single presentation slide at the Ambassador Auditorium on Tuesday.

Patti Weir, dean of graduate studies, said the competition gets stronger every year and has grown to include more disciplines.

“We are getting some students from the humanities and arts and social sciences which have really opened our scope and made the competition more interesting,” Dr. Weir said.

Weir said DeWolfe won this year because of the clarity of his presentation and how he made the complex subject of studying enzymes relatable to the audience.

The second place prize of $500 went to English language and literature master’s student Christopher Cameron and the third prize of $250 went to human kinetics master’s student Mary Ann Zokvic.

The Three Minute Thesis competition started at the University of Queensland in 2008 and is now recognized in 53 countries around the world.

Winners in the provincial competition in Waterloo will advance to the national round in June.