The concept wasn’t new—the competition challenged scholars to present their complex research in just three minutes, equipped with a single slide, in a way that anyone could understand. While the Graduate School has hosted the Shaheen Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition for graduate students for a decade, it’s the first time postdoctoral scholars have been challenged to present and compete in a similar format. Mary Ann McDowell, the associate dean for professional development at the Graduate School and professor of biological sciences, said, “With the recent growth in our postdoctoral community and the launch of the Provost's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, we felt this was the perfect time to showcase the incredible research our postdoctoral scholars are doing.”
The goal: help postdocs strengthen the key career skill of communicating complex ideas quickly, clearly, and compellingly. McDowell added, "As a scholar, you could miss an important opportunity if you cannot explain your work in a brief, clear, engaging way.”
In early October, preliminary competitions took place over three nights: one for the College of Arts & Letters and Keough School of Global Affairs, another for the College of Science, and the last one for the College of Engineering. Postdoctoral researchers presented their work to an audience and a panel of judges, with the top three from each preliminary advancing to the finals. As the competition progressed, the presentations grew sharper and more refined, culminating in the November 6 finals at Jordan Hall of Science.
$1,500 in professional development funds were awarded to winners in four categories:
- Overall Excellence in Research Communication, Ashley Castelino (Public Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow, Medieval Institute), “Dogs, Death, Disease, and Healthcare in Medieval Iceland”
- Outstanding Public Engagement Through Research Communication, Paulo Martins (Moreau Postdoctoral Fellow, Biological Sciences), “Biodiversity and Human-Caused Global Change: From Mechanisms to Impacts on People”
- Outstanding Creativity in Research Communication, Joey Jiayao Wang (Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow, Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences), “Will the Next Superstorm Hit Our Cities Harder than We Think?”
- Community Choice Award for Excellence in Research Communication, Khushi Bhatt (Provost’s Postdoctoral Society of Science Fellow, Physics & Astronomy), “Recreating the Stars in the Lab”
Each winner agreed that condensing years of research into three minutes was a formidable challenge. “The three-minute limit was definitely the toughest part,” Ashley Castelino said. “As a literary scholar, I work with stories, and there were so many I would have loved to have told!”
The exercise, Castelino said, forced him to see his work differently. “Preparing for the Spotlight became a very interesting and introspective process—figuring out which parts of my research were accessible and interesting to people outside the humanities, and where it might even be possible to draw connections with other disciplines.” Castelino wove Old Icelandic text into his presentation about the presence of canines in medieval literature.
“It was even more challenging than a Ph.D. defense,” according to Joey Jiayao Wang, whose research integrates climate science, structural engineering, and risk analysis to develop strategies that prepare communities for superstorms. The Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow explained, “Your audience isn’t specialized, so you have to find an accessible way to spark their interest and help them understand both what you do and why it matters. Then, condensing the background, the research gap, and the significance into just three minutes demands extreme precision. It requires you to be the absolute master of your work and to weave everything into a single, compelling narrative.”
Paulo Martins, who simplified the complex topic of biodiversity and its vulnerability to human-driven global changes, called the experience a game-changer, “especially now, when many people do not value science or trust scientific work. Through the whole process of trial and error, I developed a set of skills that will help me be more conscious about how to communicate with the general public,” he said.
Khushi Bhatt won over the audience by explaining how all the chemical elements that compose us—and everything around us—are created in stars. Bhatt called it a “joyful moment” to be recognized by the audience. “It reminded me that science communication is just as important as science itself,” she said. “I was genuinely glad to share my research in nuclear astrophysics in a way the audience found interesting and engaging. It meant a lot to see the story resonate with people beyond the scientific community.”
For those reasons, Thomas Meyers, a graduate career consultant with Notre Dame Graduate Career Services, believes the event delivered on its purpose. “Notre Dame Postdoc Spotlight gives scholars a unique opportunity to think about their research in new and exciting ways,” Meyers said, “in line with the Graduate School’s declaration that ‘your research matters.’”
“More importantly,” Meyers said, “postdocs matter, and Notre Dame is here to support them. Spotlight is just one of the many ways we’re helping postdoctoral scholars grow in response to the shifting demands of modern research.”
McDowell agreed. “I’m delighted that our inaugural Postdoc Spotlight was such a success. The presentations were engaging, polished, and informative, and the audience’s enthusiasm was evident throughout,” she said. “I’m hopeful the event will continue to grow, with even more postdoctoral scholars participating in future preliminary rounds. I also look forward to greater involvement from the local Michiana community, since events like this are meant to connect with—and communicate to—a wide range of audiences.”
Beyond strengthening their skills, the postdocs said they also valued the sense of community the Postdoc Spotlight fostered—an opportunity to connect and learn about one another’s work. Castelino really appreciated that, saying, “Every one of the participants was fantastic and presented such fascinating research, so being selected as a winner was a very pleasant surprise.” For Bhatt, who is still new to Notre Dame, the experience underscored something deeper than a competition. “I am truly grateful for the supportive and vibrant postdoctoral community here at the University of Notre Dame,” she said. “I’ve only been here about four months, and it makes such a difference to grow, learn, and celebrate our work together.”
Pictures from the event
Originally published by at graduateschool.nd.edu on November 25, 2025.