Past 3MT Winners

2025 Champion

Aditya Goyal

Area of study: Doctoral student in materials and nanotechnology, focusing on water treatment and sustainable nanomaterials
Advisor: Achintya Bezbaruah, Gehrts Presidential Professor and department chair of civil, construction and environmental engineering
Presentation: Creating Sustainable Phosphorus Fertilizers

Other 2025 Finalists:

Justine Kilama

Area of study: Doctoral student in microbiology, focusing on livestock microbiomes and reproductive efficiency in cattle
Advisor: Samat Amat, assistant professor of microbiological sciences
Presentation: Harnessing microbiome to improve health and reproductive efficiency in cattle

Edward Cedrick Fernandez

Area of study: Doctoral student in genomics, phenomics and bioinformatics
Advisor: Zhikai Liang, assistant professor of plant science
Presentation: Uncovering Leaf Segmental Responses to Heat Stress in Barley

Allana Martins

Area of study: Doctoral student in pharmaceutical sciences
Advisor: Roberto Gomes, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences
Presentation: Targeting Tumor Survival: A Selective Approach to Pancreatic Cancer Therapy

Nastaran Shahzadeh

Area of study: Doctoral student in coatings and polymeric materials
Advisor: Dean C. Webster, professor and chair of coatings and polymeric materials
Presentation: Breaking the ice: innovative surface technology for superior ice protection

2024 Champion

Marcel Roy Domalanta

Area of study: Doctoral student in coatings and polymeric materials
Advisor: Eugene Caldona, assistant professor of coatings and polymeric materials
Presentation: Soy much better: Making non-stick materials stick

Other 2024 Finalists:

Kyle Boutin

Area of study: Doctoral student in environmental and conservation sciences
Advisor: Marinus Otte, professor of biological sciences
Presentation: Harnessing the Power of Wetlands to Improve Water Quality and the Climate

Bivek Chaulagain

Area of study: Doctoral student in pharmaceutical sciences
Advisor: Jagdish Singh, professor and chair of pharmaceutical sciences
Presentation: Alzheimer's Disease: Is Cannabidiol the answer?

Pooyan Vahidi Pashaki

Area of study: Doctoral student in biomedical engineering
Advisor: Dinesh Katti, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering
Presentation: Next-Generation of Biomaterial for Sport-Related Ligaments Injury

Nastaran Shahzadeh

Area of study: Doctoral student in coatings and polymeric materials
Advisor: Dean C. Webster, professor and chair of coatings and polymeric materials
Presentation: Amphiphilically Modified coatings for Fouling Release Applications

Himani Yadav

Area of study: Doctoral student in civil engineering
Advisor: Syeed Iskander, assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering
Presentation: Plastic Consciousness: A part of solution to plastic pollution

2023 Champion

Nitin Rai

Program: Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Ph.D.
Advisor: Xin “Rex” Sun
Presentation: Drone spots illegal weed plants: The future of agriculture takes flight

Other 2023 Finalists:

Sifat Karim Chowdhury

Program: Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D.
Advisor: Yan Zhang
Presentation: Fluid-Structure Interaction of Collapsible Thin-Walled Vessel under Different Flow Conditions

Shokoofeh Ghasemi

Program: Coatings and Polymeric Materials, Ph.D.
Advisor: Dean Webster
Presentation: “Anti-ice coating; Making it hard for water to freeze”

Ellysa Johnson

Program: Natural Resources Management, M.S.
Advisor: Torre Hovick
Presentation: That's One Hot Commodity: Both Cattle and Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) Eat Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) in Rangelands

Siavash Mansouri

Program: Coatings and Polymeric Materials, M.S.
Advisor: Mohiuddin Quadir
Presentation: Safe buildings by new green smart fire-fighting coating

Ankita Sawant

Program: Environmental and Conservation Sciences, M.S.
Advisor: Laura Aldrich-Wolfe
Presentation: Mycorrhizas and native prairie restoration: exploring the effects of mycorrhizal inoculum, seed origin, and phosphorus on plant performance

2022 Champion:

Kishore Chittimalli

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Yagna Jarajapu
Presentation: “Restructuring Gut Microbiome for Healthy Aging”

Other 2022 Finalists

Nathaniel Johnson

Program: Exercise Science and Nutrition, Ph.D.
Advisor: Sherri Stastny
Presentation: Protein Intake and Muscle Health

Ellysa Johnson

Program: Natural Resource Science, M.S.
Advisor: Torre Hovick, Jason Harmon
Presentation: A Piece of Cake: Updated Monarch (Danaus plexippus L.) Conservation in North Dakota Rangelands

Biraj Saha

Program: Civil Engineering, Ph.D.
Advisor: Syeed Md Iskander
Presentation: Breaking the Chain(s) of Forever Chemicals

Yue Shen

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ph.D.
Advisor: Chengwen Sun
Presentation: Chronic Central Administration Of Apelin-13 Induces Blood-pressure Elevation And Cardiac Remodeling In Conscious Rats

McKenna Wegner

Program: English, M.A.
Advisor: Holly Hassel
Presentation: 'Better Safe than Sorry’ : Social Media Responses to Emerging COVID-19 Research in the News

2021 Champion:

Riddhi Trivedi

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisors: Jagdish Singh
Presentation: Brain Targeted Nanoparticles for Management of neuroAIDS

Other 2021 Finalists:

Niyati Borkar

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Sathish Venkatachalem
Presentation: It's All About the KISS - Gender and Asthma

Jackson Benda

Program: Coatings and Polymeric Materials (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dean Webster
Presentation: Development of Robust Fouling-release Coatings with Amphiphilic Surfaces to Combat Biofouling

2020 Champion:

Riddhi Trivedi

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisors: Amrita Banerjee and Jagdish Singh
Presentation: No More Hide and Seek: NanoParticles Seek Out the Hiding HIV in Brain to Combat NeuroAIDS

Other 2020 Finalists:

Jasmine Cutter

Program: Range Science (M.S.)
Advisors: Torre Hovick and Ben Geaumont
Presentation: Just Crumbs: How We’re Starving Native Bees in America’s Bread Basket

Babak Jahani

Program: Mechanical Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Xinnan Wang
Presentation: The Effects of Surface Roughness on Functionality of Orthopedic Implants

Babak Mamnoon

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Sanku Mallik
Presentation: Smart Nanosoldiers to Combat Deadliest Cancers

Alireza Rahimi

Program: Coatings and Polymeric Materials (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dean C. Webster
Presentation: Developing of Anti-icing Paints

Hizb Ullah Sajid

Program: Civil Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Ravi Kiran Yellavajjala
Presentation: Bio-based Additives for Mitigating Corrosion in Transportation Infrastructure

2019 Champion:

Elisabeth Wilson

Program: Biological Sciences (M.S.)
Advisor: Dr. Julia Bowsher
Presentation: Micro-climate Impacts Nesting Choice and Success of Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee

Other 2019 Finalists:

Alireza Rahimi

Program: Coatings and Polymeric Materials (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Dean Webster
Presentation: Developing of Marine Paints to Combat Biofouling

Matthew Confeld

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Sanku Mallik
Presentation: Hypoxia Responsive Peptide Conjugated Nanoparticles for Treatment of Solid Tumors

Mohsen Tahmasebi Nasab

Program: Civil Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Xuefeng Chu
Presentation: How do Climate-driven Changes Affect our Water Resources?

Pranothi Mulinti

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Amanda Brooks
Presentation: Silk Bubbles to the Rescue

Priyanka Swami

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Estelle Leclerc
Presentation: Combination Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

Raquib Hasan

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Amanda Brooks
Presentation: Putty that Treats Bone Infection

Sakshi Taneja

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Dr. Estelle Leclerc
Presentation: Evaluating the Critical Role of Receptor of Advanced Glycation Endproducts (RAGE) in Pancreatic Cancer

2018 Champion:

Farnaz Fouladi

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Kristine Steffen
Presentation: The Role of the Gut Bacteria in Weight Loss Surgery

Other 2018 Finalists:

Shrinidh Joshi

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Yagna Jarajapu
Presentation: ‘Designer’ Stem Cells for the Treatment of Diabetic Complications: ‘The Future is Now’

Cecilia Monclova-Santana

Program: Plant Pathology (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Julie Pasche
Presentation: Rust: A Dry Bean Disease Story in North Dakota

Seseer Mou-Danha

Program: Communication (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Charles Okigbo
Presentation: Nothing, Nothing Justifies Terrorism

Amreen Mughal

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Stephen O'Rourke
Presentation: Regulation of Vascular Tone in Cerebral and Coronary Arteries by Apelin/APJ Receptor Mechanisms

Suresh Niraula

Program: Environmental and Conservation Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Shafiqur Rahman
Presentation: Does Manure Application Help Increase Corn Yield in ND?

2017 Champion:

Tayebeh Anajafi Marzijarani

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Sanku Mallik
Presentation: Targeted Drug Delivery in Pancreatic Cancer

Other 2017 Finalists:

Matthew Crouse

Program: Animal Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Joel Caton
Presentation: Effects of Maternal Nutrition on Fructose, Glucose, and Cationic Amino Acid Transporter Expression in Bovine Utero-placental Tissues from Days 16 to 50 of Gestation

Farnaz Fouladi

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Kristine Steffen
Presentation: The Role of the Gut Bacteria in Sustained Weight Loss after Gastric Bypass Surgery

Babak Jahani

Program: Mechanical Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Fardad Azarmi
Presentation: Development of an Advanced Composite Material Consisting of Iron Matrix Reinforced with Ultra High Temperature Ceramic Particulate (TiB2) with Optimum Properties

Xiaoxia Li

Program: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Canan Bilen-Green
Presentation: A Semiparametric Trajectory Model for Cognitive Decline

Brian Schmidt

Program: Advanced Athletic Training (M.S.)
Advisor: Shannon David
Presentation: Psychometric Evaluation of Two Self-Reported Questionnaires for Musculoskeletal Injuries Among Musicians

J Stanley

Program: Plant Sciences (M.S.)
Advisor: Hans Kandel
Presentation: Soybean Yield Gap in North Dakota

Masahiro Toyama

Program: Developmental Science (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Heather Fuller
Presentation: The Protective Power of Social Relationships in Late Life

2016 Champion:

Manpreet Bains

Program: Molecular Pathogensis (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Glenn Dorsam
Presentation: Modulatory Effects of Neural Proteins on Your Microbiome

Other 2016 Finalists:

Sajid Asif

Program: Electrical and Computer Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Banjamin Braaten
Presentation: Batteryless, Leadless Pacemaker

Renee Bourdeaux

Program: Communication (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Ann Burnett
Presentation: Financial Conversations Between Romantic, Committed Partnerships

Lauren Dennhardt

Program: Botany (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Steven Travers
Presentation: Kentucky Bluegrass Invasion of North Dakota

Prajakta Kulkarni

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Sanku Mallik
Presentation: Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

Courage Mudzongo

Program: Developmental Science (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Brandy Randall
Presentation: Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: Lessons from an Urban Adolescent Population

2015 Champion:

Allison Peltier

Program: Nursing (DNP)
Advisor: Loretta Heuer
Presentation: Cervical Cancer Among American Indian Women: The Battle Against Health Inequalities

Other 2015 Finalists:

Lutfur Akand

Program: Civil Engineering (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Mijia Yang
Presentation: Exploring fiber reinforced porous concrete with finite element modeling and experimental studies

Adam Edwinson

Program: Molecular Pathogenesis (Ph.D.)
Advisor: John McEvoy
Presentation: Host mucins trigger replication of a pathogentic parasite

Venkata Indurthi

Program: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Stefan Vetter
Presentation: Diabetes, high blood sugar, and protein modifications

Courage Mudzongo

Program: Developmental Science (Ph.D.)
Advisor: Brandy Randall
Presentation: Short-Term Mission Trips