NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – Three University of Oklahoma graduate students have been named winners of the 2025 Three Minute Thesis competition, which challenges participants to explain their research in three minutes to a non-specialist audience.
Tanner Cabaniss, a graduate student in the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering in the Gallogly College of Engineering, earned first place for his presentation, “Shape Memory Polymer Scaffolds with Tunable Architecture for the Endovascular Treatment of Cerebral Aneurysms.” His research examines how programmable polymer scaffolds could improve minimally invasive treatment options for cerebral aneurysms. As the first-place winner, Cabaniss will represent OU at the regional 3MT competition during the 82nd Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools annual meeting in Kansas City in March 2026.
Maggie Hart, a graduate student in the Department of English in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, was named runner-up for her presentation, “The Power of Medical Texts in Women’s Health.” Her work explores how medical writing shapes the understanding and treatment of women’s health.
The People’s Choice Award went to Surya Pratap Singh, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences. His presentation, “Sweet Light: Using Sugar and Blue Light to Create Next-Generation Antibiotics,” focused on the use of photoactivated sugar compounds to develop new antimicrobial treatments.
The 3MT concept originated at the University of Queensland in 2008 and is now global with more than 900 universities participating worldwide. This was the ninth year in which the Graduate College at OU has hosted its own 3MT event.
Watch the full recording of the 2025 competition on the OU-Norman campus here.
More information about the competition is available through the OU Graduate College.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
The University of Oklahoma has received a transformative gift from Jon and Shannon McCartney, which will name the McCartney Family Tunnel of Champions, the McCartney Family Gate of the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and the McCartney Family Grand Lecture Hall in the Michael F. Price College of Business. The gift will also support the Inspiring Champions and the Athletic Director’s Discretionary Fund, in addition to establishing the McCartney DFW Career Trek program at Price College.
The University of Oklahoma today celebrated the opening of a new air traffic control tower at the OU Max Westheimer Airport. Standing 106 feet tall, more than double the current 52-foot facility, the new tower will modernize air traffic control operations and improve safety for pilots and students operating in the airspace.
Do I buy groceries or pay the electric bill? Should I pawn some of my belongings to afford my prescription? My child is sick, so I will have to miss work to take care of him. Those are just a few of the difficult choices that OU-Tulsa health professional students confronted during the Community Access to Resources Experience. The role-playing activity challenged students to navigate the financial, family and other pressures that can affect a person’s health and ability to follow medical advice. Held annually during the SCM Institute orientation week, the experience is designed to generate understanding and build empathy.
