A&S graduate students compete in MSU’s 3MT® competition
by Sam Kealhofer, Intern on the A&S Research Support Team
Two Mississippi State University graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences competed this month in the university’s annual 3MT® competition—a contest challenging graduate students to present a compelling verbal presentation of their thesis or dissertation topic and its significance in three minutes using language easily understood by all listeners.
Lindsay Mullins, a graduate student in the Department of Geosciences, and Keri Porter, a graduate student from the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, both advanced to the final round of the competition designed to develop academic, presentation and research communication skills and support the development of graduate students’ capacity to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to a public audience.
Mullins’ presentation, “Saving Baby Shark,” asked the audience to consider the important role sharks play in coastal and marine ecosystems by explaining the various ways a beach trip would be negatively impacted if sharks were absent, including an overabundance of algae and the unavailability of a seafood lunch. She then elaborated on her marine biology research which focuses on shark ecosystems, specifically on the ecological conditions that make for healthy baby shark nurseries. Her research utilizes geospatial technology to map and model marine ecosystems, as well as measure the impact of the environmental conditions that drive shark distribution and abundance.
“Growing up, my view of sharks was shaped by what I saw in the media, and as a result, I was scared of them every time I went to the beach. Once I got older and began to study sharks and learn more about them, I experienced a paradigm shift where my fear turned to respect and appreciation. Now, I love sharks so much I’ll be joining MSU’s Marine Fisheries Ecology Lab in the spring to further study the spatial ecology of sharks and pursue my Ph.D. It’s my hope that my research can be used to inform the public on the vital role sharks play in healthy oceans, and that through education and outreach, others can experience a paradigm shift like mine,” Mullins said.
Porter’s research seeks to use a newly applied technology called photogrammetry to make 3D digital models of skulls from 2D images. She elaborated on the merits of photogrammetry for archaeological work, characterizing it as “accessible, user-friendly and cost-effective.” Porter said the technology offers “vast potential” to the entire field of science in the creation and curation of digital archaeological collections. She will test this hypothesis by comparing photogrammetric models of skeletal remains from the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum which operated in Jackson, MS from 1855 to 1935 to traditional measurements taken from the bones themselves to evaluate the technology’s accuracy in recording cranial depression fractures.
“As an undergrad, I volunteered in a research lab with a 3D laser capable of scanning human skeletal remains. I realized then that not only did this technology take a very long time to make models, but it was also very expensive. With so many underfunded researchers and graduate students all around the world, financial gatekeeping is a very real threat to research using digital technologies. I want to help mitigate this cost for researchers, and I hope my work using photogrammetry will help contribute to more fields than just anthropology,” Porter said.
While Mullins seeks to balance marine ecosystems through the study of one of its most iconic species, Porter aims to advance scientific research through the innovative use of technology. Together, their ambitious work indicates exciting progress for the next generation of researchers as they take up the mantle of scientific inquiry.
In an effort to contribute solutions to the various challenges facing the nation, as well as insight into other points of interest, the College of Arts and Sciences will continue to highlight research in our “Research in the Headlines” series each Monday and Wednesday. For more research in the headlines, visit https://www.cas.msstate.edu/research/researchintheheadlines/; and for information about the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Geosciences or the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures visit https://www.cas.msstate.edu/, https://www.geosciences.msstate.edu/ or https://www.amec.msstate.edu/.