COSAM News Articles 2018 November COSAM’s Putter Tiatragul Selected to Present at University’s Thesis Competition

COSAM’s Putter Tiatragul Selected to Present at University’s Thesis Competition

Published: 11/05/2018

Putter Tiatragul, a graduate student in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM), is one of just 10 students that will be presenting at the 3MT® (Three Minute Thesis) Competition on November 15, 2018. The 3MT® Competition, founded by the University of Queensland in 2008, provides each student with three minutes and one slide to showcase their thesis. Auburn University’s Graduate School first began this competition in 2013.

“Presenting at the 3MT® Competition is important for me because it is a way for me to distill my academic research into a compelling story I can share with my family and friends,” explains Tiatragul. “Since my research is about how wildlife adapt to urbanization, I hope to share with people that even animals we take for granted everyday also have intriguing stories of their own.”

Tiatragul will be defending his thesis just one week before this competition. On November 8, 2018, he will be presenting his defense seminar on his thesis, “A lizard’s shady way to beat the city heat.”

“I am happy to be selected as a finalist for the Auburn University 3MT® Competition, and honored to represent COSAM,” says Tiatragul. “This achievement is a result of the tremendous support I received from my mentors, colleagues and friends. I would like to thank them for helping me get this far.”

Tiatragul works in Dr. Daniel Warner’s lab in the Rouse Life Sciences building. “I am thrilled that Putter has been selected as a finalist for the 3MT® Competition. Putter has put considerable time and effort into his research over the past two years, and he has revealed a fascinating story about how lizards deal with high temperatures in urbanized areas. Communicating research results and their importance to non-specialists in just three minutes is not an easy task, but Putter has an unique ability to convey the message of his research to just about anyone,” shares Dr. Warner.

Learn more about Auburn University’s 3MT® Competition.