A mechanical engineering graduate student took first place in the annual Three Minute Thesis competition with research that pokes holes in three-dimensional printing technology by exploring the flaws left in printed parts.

Dora Strelkova impressed the judges with her presentation, titled “You wouldn’t want a pie filled with holes, so why should we accept 3D printed parts with them?” Her thesis project, which she has been working on for the past two semesters, began as a new hobby she developed during pandemic lockdowns.

“I bought an inexpensive 3D printer and it kind of grew from that. I enjoyed it and it allowed me to be creative and bring my ideas to life. However, after using the technology, I began to realize that it has some flaws here and there and recognized areas where it could be improved — how we print things, how the layers are made, etc.,” she explains.

“So, I dove into that, and our research group under Dr. Jill Urbanic’s supervision has been fundamentally taking what exists now, and asking: how do we make it better?”

Donning her 3D-printed pi-symbol earrings during her presentation, Strelkova introduced the audience to her research by claiming that our 3D-printed projects are “catfishing” us, and used the analogy of a pie filled with holes.

“At a diner, you order a delicious lemon meringue pie — the top is golden, the crust is crisp. It looks flawless. But when you cut inside, your slice is riddled with holes. Weird — how does a chef even manage holes in a pie? Well, that kind of happens in 3D printing. The outside of a part looks smooth, to the right tolerance, but when you look inside, there are hidden voids that weaken the structure,” she said.

The competition’s judges evaluated contestants in the categories of communication, comprehension, and engagement.

To prepare, Strelkova said she watched YouTube videos with tips and previous Three Minute Thesis competitions at the University of Windsor to get a sense of what a winning speech looks like. From there, she wrote her thesis and practised in front of friends, family, and her research group to ensure she was hitting all the necessary points.

“Get different feedback from different audiences,” she recommends. “The idea with the minute thesis is that it’s for a general audience. Some people might get what you’re saying, but you assume no one knows what you’re talking about, and you have to present it with the least amount of jargon you can.”

All the preparation paid off, as she earned first place and a $1,000 cash prize. Strelkova will go on to represent Windsor at the provincial final on May 14 at the University of Toronto.

“I didn’t believe it at first,” she said.

“Something that helped with my nerves was reminding myself this is for fun, and it’s a learning experience. But I really enjoyed the feedback from the judges afterward, and it was great to get to know the other participants. After each presentation, everyone was cheering each other on.”

The second-place prize of $500 went to Piumi Kulatunga, a chemistry and biochemistry graduate student, for the thesis “Detect, Attack and Degrade: New Era in Brain Cancer Treatment.”

Physics graduate student Abo-Bakr Emara took home third place and $250 with the thesis “Unlocking the Universe’s Secrets: Tackling Radon in Rare Decay Searches.”

Learn more about Strelkova’s research and 3-D printing through her YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@strelkomania/videos.