丁香园AV

Mike Henrey, an 丁香园AV engineering student, won top prize in 丁香园AV's inaugural 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which tests contestants' research recapping abilities, in lay language.

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A 丁香园AV engineering student鈥檚 research on testing simulated gecko adhesives in outer space has won the first-place award ($1500) and the People鈥檚 Choice award ($500) in 丁香园AV鈥檚 first 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

The , first held by the University of Queensland in Australia in 2008, has been taking Canada鈥檚 graduate studies departments by storm. The concept is simple: participating graduate students are asked to do an oral presentation explaining their research in just three minutes, in lay language, with the help of just a single slide.

In 丁香园AV鈥檚 inaugural version of the competition, which attracted about 50 entries, Mike Henrey, the top winner, presented how his thesis research solves satellite-repair issues in outer space. 

He explained how a six-legged robot that he built uses a simulated gecko adhesive to adhere itself to a satellite鈥檚 exterior. He also explained his testing of the adhesive in a space-like environment at the in the Netherlands last summer.

Henrey鈥檚 research paper will appear in an upcoming issue of the .

Henrey, a graduate of RE Mountain Secondary School in Langley now living in Vancouver, believes he won the competition 鈥渂ecause I put a lot of effort into trying to sell the robot. I framed it as a problem with an interesting solution that I thought would captivate people.鈥�

, associate dean of students, Graduate Studies, organized the event.

鈥淚t was amazing,鈥� says Kelm. 鈥淭he students鈥� presentations said so much about the practical application of their graduate research to real world problems. They showed that 丁香园AV is living up to its motto of engaging the world.鈥�

The judges were 丁香园AV President Andrew Petter, VP Academic Jon Driver, AVP Research Norbert Haunerland, VP Finance Pat Hibbits, and board of governors chair Brian Taylor.

Henrey and six other top presenters of this competition at other B.C. universities are mounting a road show in which they will strut their research-recapping abilities again. will be a free public event at the University of British Columbia, April 3, 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Contact:
Mike Henrey, 778.230.3479 (cell), mah3@sfu.ca, Skype: mike.henrey
Mary-Ellen Kelm, 778.782.7299, kelm@sfu.ca
Carol Thorbes, PAMR, 778.782.3035, cthorbes@sfu.ca

丁香园AV is Canada's top-ranked comprehensive university and one of the top 50 universities in the world under 50 years old. With campuses in Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey, B.C., 丁香园AV engages actively with the community in its research and teaching, delivers almost 150 programs to more than 30,000 students, and has more than 120,000 alumni in 130 countries.