The 14th Annual 3MT Competition, hosted by the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies, took place on November 21, 2025. The 3MT Competition, founded by the University of Queensland, allows graduate students to showcase their research or scholarly/creative projects in jargon-free language to a general audience in three minutes with the help of one static slide. This year, we had twenty competitors divided between three heats. Three students were chosen from each heat to progress to the Finals for a total of nine finalists.
Caption: Bradley Del Vecchio delivers his speech during the 3MT Finals at App State. Photo captured by Troy Tuttle.
Bradley Del Vecchio was the first place winner of the competition for his presentation titled, “Solar-Powered Water Purification for Disaster Relief Technology.” Bradley’s faculty mentor was Dr. Sohad Abu-Elzait. Del Vecchio is a graduate student in Renewable Energy Technology, and he also earned his B.S. in Sustainable Technology at Appalachian State University. His work focuses on renewable energy systems, grid modernization, and resilient infrastructure. Del Vecchio is passionate about sustainability, innovation, and project management, and his goal is to help accelerate the global transition to clean, reliable energy.
Caption: Dr. Colquitt (left), Associate Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School and Karlee Cook (right) pose with Karlee's second place award. Photo captured by Troy Tuttle.
Karlee Cook was the second place winner of the competition for her presentation titled, “Chemical Accidents and Newborn Health: A Difference-in-differences Analysis.” Her faculty mentor was Dr. Dennis Guignet. Cook is seeking her MBA with a concentration in Sustainable Business. She earned her B.S. in Business Administration with a major in Economics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business. Cook’s research involves using economic analyses to examine health outcomes related to environmental exposures.
Watch Karlee’s speech [YouTube]
View the transcript of Karlee’s speech [Word]
Caption: Marisa Lorenzettie (left), People's Choice Award winner, receives her award from Dr. Colquitt, Associate Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School. Photo captured by Troy Tuttle.
Marisa Lorenzetti was awarded the People’s Choice Award for her presentation titled, “DCS Near me.” Lorenzetti’s faculty mentor was Dr. Heather McKay. Lorenzetti is a second-year graduate student in the MSOT program. Her professional interests include geriatric and end-of-life care, where she hopes to advance compassionate, person- and family-centered, community-based occupational therapy practice.
Watch Marisa’s speech [YouTube]
View the transcript of Marisa’s speech [Word]
A Special thank you to all of our participants:
Michael Ayiku - Finalist
“Turning Trash into Trust: Replacing Sand and Cement with Biochar in Mortar”
Technology, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sharareh Shirzad
Lilly Baer - Finalist
“Documenting Sand Beach Changes Along Jamaica’s Southwest Coast Following Hurricane Beryl: Implications for Future Vulnerability”
Geography, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Derek Martin
Benjamin Brody
“Effective Orchestration for Student Musicians with Soloists”
Music Performance–Music Composition, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nicholas Cline
Zachary Carter
“Creating Replicatable Observational Studies in ASD Diagnosis Using Humanoid Socially Assistive Robotics”
Computer Science, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Yeganeh Madadi
Grace Charbonnet
“Development of the Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior Research Resource Repository (R3)”
Nutrition, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sydeena Isaacs
Emily Charlip - Finalist
“Mind the (Gender) Gap: How YouTube Creators Shape Community Responses”
Business Administration and Applied Data Analytics, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jeff Kaleta
Mia Dziwanowski
“Comparative Analysis of Innovative Plastic Films for Enhanced Greenhouse Performance”
Renewable Energy Technology, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew Windham
Casey Edmondson - Finalist
“Evaluation of Competitive Cyclists’ Dietary Intake Compared to Nutrient Guidelines”
Dietetics, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laurel Wentz
Amara Epley
“Feeding Frenzy: A Look into Infant Feeding Practices and Motor Development.”
Psychological Science, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amy Galloway
Carolyn Gura
“Girls Gone Strong: A Scoping Review of Resistance Training in Physical Education”
Kinesiology, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rebecca Battista
Jake Jenkins - Finalist
“Glaucoma Classification using Ensemble Learning”
Computer Science, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mohammad Ali Javidian
Sierra Lawing
“Learning from Helene: Rural Resilience, Planning, and Recovery in Western North Carolina”
Geography (Planning Concentration), Faculty Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth Shay
Analee Monrreal
“Embodied Heat: Women Farmworkers’ Experiences of Heat Stress, Care, and Coping in Pierson, Florida.”
Geography, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kathleen Schroeder
Lilly Nilo
“‘I love doing baseball:’ Building Belonging through an Adaptive Baseball League”
Occupational Therapy, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Adrienne Miao
Michael Sciole - Finalist
“Transemble: A Transformer Ensemble Network for Detecting Retinal Ganglion Cell Types”
Computer Science, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Yeganeh Madadi
Anna Silva
“Does the effect of drinking water pollution on home values diminish over time? A meta-analysis of property value studies”
Business Administration - Economics, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Dennis Guignet
Margaret Sullivan
“The Impact of Footwear, Bracing, and Taping on Ankle Sprains Incidence in Basketball Players”
Athletic Training, Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ashley Marshall
Caption: The Fall 2025 3MT Finalists. Backrow, from left to right: Casey Edmondson, Michael Sciole, Lily Baer, Bradley Del Vecchio. Front Row: Jake Jenkins, Emily Charlip, Karlee Cook, Marisa Lorenzetti, Michael Ayiku, Dr. Colquitt. Photo captured by Troy Tuttle.
Lastly, a special thank you to our Finals judges:
Jeannine Underdown Collins
Jeannine Underdown Collins is a two time graduate of Appalachian State University. Underdown Collins graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in History and completed her Master of Arts in History in 1981. Underdown Collins is a retired Residential Real Estate Appraiser who continues to spend time serving the App State and Boone communities in a variety of capacities. Underdown Collins has given back to the university in many ways, including serving as a former chair of the Appalachian Board of Trustees and the Foundation Board. Underdown Collins epitomizes being a life-long member of the Mountaineer family. She loves serving as a volunteer and supporting our Appalachian State students.
Kim Shepherd
Kim Shepherd is the CEO of SkyLine Membership Corporation in West Jefferson, NC. SkyLine is one of the largest telecommunication cooperatives in the nation. She has worked for the cooperative for the past 27 years and assumed her current role in July 2018. Prior to being named CEO, Shepherd served as Chief Management Officer from 2016–2018, overseeing all operations of the company. Shepherd has also provided leadership in the areas of customer service operations through her responsibilities as Executive Director of Customer Operations from 2011–2016 and Customer Service and Sales Manager from 2002–2011. Shepherd attended Appalachian State University and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1997. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from Gardner-Webb University, which she obtained in 2014. Shepherd serves on various industry boards and was appointed to the ASU Board of Trustees in 2019. She served as Chair of the Board of Trustees from 2021 through 2023. Shepherd and her husband, Derek, reside in Warrensville, NC and they have two children and three grandchildren.
Robert R. “Skip” Harkrader III
Skip Harkrader graduated from Appalachian State University in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in community and regional planning. He subsequently returned to the university and received his master’s degree in political science and government in 1983. Harkrader has spent the majority of his career working in planning and economic development, primarily at the local level. His employment has included positions as planning and economic development director for the City of Burlington and director of planning for Spartanburg County, South Carolina.
He is a past board member of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, past president of the North Carolina Community Development Association, and a graduate of the South Carolina Economic Developers School at the College of Charleston. Harkrader supports a broad range of graduate education and healthcare education initiatives at the university and was named the 2025 Williams School of Graduate Studies Alumni Award recipient.
Heat A Judges
Dr. Christine Hendren
Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation
Dr. Mike McKenzie
Vice Provost of Academic Program Development and Strategic Initiatives
Jeff Cathey
Interim Vice Provost for Student Affairs
Heat B Judges
Laura Langberg
Information Literacy Librarian for the First Year Experience
Dr. Shernita Lee
Assistant Vice Provost for Student Success
Jordan Perry
Director, Wellness and Prevention Services
Heat C Judges
Dr. Mark Bradbury
Interim Vice Provost for Academic Programming and Planning
Victoria Carlburg
Director of Graduate Admissions
Dr. Vicky Klima
Dean of the Honors College
Bradley will represent Appalachian State University at the 3MT Regional Competition in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in February 2026. Bradley’s 3MT speech recording will be posted after regionals.
Want to read more about the Fall 2025 3MT Competitors? Check out the articles below:
College of Arts and Sciences:
CAS students participate in 14th Annual Three Minute Thesis competition
Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment:
Walker College of Business: