Northern Arizona University’s Graduate College announced the results of the virtual 3 Minute Research Competition and the winners of the Graduate College Awards. Both recognize outstanding individuals and achievements in their academic careers.
Final results of the 3MRP competition
The 3MRP competition is an opportunity for NAU graduate students to present their thesis, dissertation, capstone research, academic scholarship or creative works to an intelligent, non-specialist audience. It challenges participants to present work succinctly in three minutes.
Students submitted abstracts in January, underwent practice sessions and competed for spots in the finals. Despite the switch to an online format mid-competition, students persevered through the change. The three winners will receive a cash prize.
- 1st place: James DiPasquale, master’s in forestry
- “Identification of Opportunities and Barriers for Arizona to Supply Wood Fiber to South Korean Renewable Energy Markets”
- 2nd place: Macy Urrutia, doctorate of physical therapy
- “Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy for Postpartum Women with Pelvic Organ Prolapse”
- 3rd place: Chelsea Taylor, master’s in psychological sciences
- “In Search of a Relationship Between Dance and Spatial Reasoning”
Outstanding graduate student awards
Graduate students are integral to the NAU community, providing support and leadership in programs, offices and laboratories across campus. Some are assistants to professors while others teach in classroom or lab settings. The Graduate College Awards recognizes outstanding graduate students in three different categories with a $1,000 scholarship and a plaque.
Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant: Ali Farghadan, MS in mechanical engineering
Originally from Tehran, Iran, Farghadan studied mechanical engineering as an undergraduate at Sharif University of Technology. At NAU, he joined assistant professor of mechanical engineering Amirhossein Arzani’s cardiovascular biomechanics lab to focus on interdisciplinary research of biology and engineering and combine that with programming and computer simulations.
Outstanding Graduate Service Assistant: Danielle Gorel, master’s in sustainable communities
From Sugar Land, Texas, Gorel earned two degrees from the University of Texas: one for theatre and dance and the second for rhetoric and writing. She taught English in the Middle East, Europe and Costa Rica before moving to Flagstaff to pursue a master’s in sustainable communities.
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: Luis Miguel Llorente Salgado, master’s in teaching Spanish
Salgado grew up in Plasencia, Spain, where he earned bachelor’s degrees: one in translation and the second in interpreting and humanities. He attended NAU as a foreign exchange student his last semester of undergrad and returned in 2019 to earn a master’s in teaching Spanish. He plans to pursue a doctoral degree in the pedagogy of translation.