Information for 3MT® Presenters

Once each competitor has completed and submitted their recording, the Preliminary Round judging and People’s Choice voting will take place.

For the Preliminary Round judging, competitors will be broken up into three random groups. From each group, the judges will decide the top master’s presentation, top doctoral presentation, and the overall runner up, and the Texas State community will vote online to select the People’s Choice winner. Therefore, four competitors from each group, will advance to the University Final. 

The Preliminary Round judges for the 2024 competition will be:

• Dr. Angela Ausbrooks, Interim Dean, Applied Arts
• Dr. Victoria Black, Assistant Vice President and Director, Academic Engagement
• Dr. Duane Bruce, Assistant Vice President and Executive Director
• Dr. Elaine Chu, Assitant Professor, Anthropology; 1st Place 3MT® winner (2018)
• Dr. Joanna Collins, Assistant Director, The Writing Center
• Dr. Olga Gerhart, Senior Lecturer, Philosophy
• Mr. Terrence Parker, Associate Dean of Students
• Mr. Raymond Rogers, Director, Career Services
• Ms. Stephanie Towery, Head of Scholarly Resources, University Libraries

Awarded by judges:

• First place – $200
• Second place – $150
• Runner-up – $100

Awarded by audience:

• People’s Choice – $100

At the final, the following awards will be given out:

• First place - $1,000
• Runner-up - $500
• People’s Choice - $500

In contrast to the Preliminary Round, for the People’s Choice, guests must be present at the event during the voting to submit a vote. We will not be doing online voting, and anyone who leaves before the voting starts will be unable to vote.

Also different from the Preliminary Round, if you win first place or runner-up, you are still eligible to win the People’s Choice award.

The Graduate College recommends wearing business attire for this event. You can expect to wear a lapel microphone while on stage that The Graduate College will provide and will help you attach to your clothing.

When choosing what to wear, think about where Graduate College staff can clip a lapel microphone as well as the transmitter pack. 

• If you opt for a dress, you might want to consider belting it, so we can hook the transmitter pack on it in the back.
• The safer choice is to wear separates. Wearing a jacket can hide the pack in the back and hook the actual mic on the lapel.  The pack can be attached to the waistband of skirts or pants.
• Anything with a V-neck or buttons down the front is preferable to a high-necked shirt. A high neckline may force the microphone to be placed in an awkward angle under the chin, which might muffle the sound.
• The fabric of the shirt also plays a role. A silk blouse or a thin sweater may fold under the weight of the microphone, resulting in a rustling sound. Opt for a heavier fabric that will maintain its structure when the microphone is clipped on and won’t buckle if you move during the course of your presentation.

If you need to change when you arrive, there are bathrooms close to the ballroom. Also, there will be an area where you can leave your personal items while you are presenting.

If you need help finding business attire, check out the Career Closet offered through Career Services, where you can rent clothes for free!

There are a few parking options around the LBJ Student Center, including permit and pay-to-park. For permit options, please view the Parking Services San Marcos map. For pay-to-park options, we recommend using the LBJ Student Center garage, which is right next to the LBJ Student Center. To see rates of the pay-to-park options, please see the Visitors Parking page.

Here are some final notes to keep in mind as you prepare for your 3MT® presentation:

1. No one knows your script except you! If you find yourself stuck on stage, remember this competition is about explaining your research. Do your best to try and keep going even if you get stuck – just continue to tell us about your research and its impact!
2. If you do decide to view the timer and if you are getting close to 3 minutes, don’t disqualify yourself by trying to finish your speech and accidentally go over the time. Say “Thank you” before it hits the “0:00” mark that way your presentation will still be eligible for judging + People’s Choice.
3. Try and avoid using jargon and if you do, make sure to explain it.
4. The real-world impact of your research is a very important part the judges want to know about, so give yourself time to talk about that.
5. We do recommend saying “thank you” at the end of your presentation so that there is a clear end to it.
6. Once again, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! Practice in situations where you are slightly uncomfortable so that you can work on getting through your speech in distracting situations. Practice in front of people as much as possible and get their feedback, too.
7. Finally, have fun with this process! Invite your friends, family members, professors, and colleagues! Everyone wants you to succeed and will enjoy hearing about your research and watching you present!