The opening heats in the 2016 Three Minute Thesis contest are set for Wednesday and Thursday, March 23 and 24, in Vanier Hall’s Katzman Lounge.

The competition challenges graduate students to present their thesis or dissertation topic to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes. Both days’ presentations begin at 3 p.m. and are free to attend.

Wednesday:

• “How to destroy a neighbourhood,” Jay Rankin, master’s student, English Language, Literature and Creative Writing
• “Big Brother is watching and so is the police,” Thomas Bud, master’s student, Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology
• “Why are salmon red?” Sarah Lehnert, doctoral student, Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research
• “Wait, you feel that, too?” Jeremy Johnston, master’s student, English Language, Literature and Creative Writing
• “Mean, lean, and green,” Geraint Bryden, master’s student, Mechanical, Automotive and Materials Engineering
• “One brain to rule them all,” Krithika Muthukumaran, doctoral student, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Thursday:

• “Customizing combustion in a diesel engine,” Qingyuan Tan, doctoral student, Electrical and Computer Engineering
• “How people help (and hurt) parents of children with autism,” Jenna Jones, doctoral student, Psychology
• “Tackling a disturbing youth sport issue,” Adam Goodwin, master’s student, Kinesiology
• “Fighting the spread: TAFI as an anti-cancer superhero,” Zainab Bazzi, doctoral student, Chemistry and Biochemistry
• “Farming super salmon for supper,” Mitchel Dender, master’s student, Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research
• “What do you think?” Chukwuma Ejieh, master’s student, Computer Science

Finalists will face off in Ambassador Auditorium at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 30. Top finishers will win cash prizes and the champion will represent the University of Windsor in a provincial qualifier at Wilfrid Laurier University.