Doctoral candidate represents USA at regional 3MT competition
Posted on March 16, 2026 by Michelle Ryan-Day
After earning first place at the University of South Alabama's Three Minute Thesis
(3MT) competition, Ph.D. candidate Sayema Naaz advanced to represent the university
at the regional competition hosted by the Council of Southern Graduate Schools during
its annual meeting in Baton Rouge.
The regional competition brought together graduate student representatives from 65 universities across the southern United States. Participants were selected from institutions affiliated with the Council of Southern Graduate Schools, which includes more than 200 member universities. Naaz’s selection to represent South Alabama placed her among the top graduate communicators and researchers in the region.
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition challenges graduate students to explain their research and its significance in just three minutes using only a single static slide. Originating at the University of Queensland in Australia, the international competition emphasizes clear communication and the ability to make complex research accessible to a broad audience.
Naaz, a doctoral candidate in the Whiddon College of Medicine's Basic Medical Sciences Graduate Program, earned the opportunity to compete regionally after winning the University of South Alabama’s campus competition with her presentation, “The Persister Problem: How Salmonella Survives Stress.” Her research explores how Salmonella bacteria survive stressful conditions and cause chronic infections, focusing on the role of non-coding RNAs and proteins in bacterial persistence.
“I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to compete in the 3MT competition at the Council of Southern Graduate Schools annual meeting,” Naaz said. “It was a valuable learning experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed connecting with peers and learning about the exciting research happening across the South.”
Naaz credited the mentorship and support she received throughout the process from her adviser, Glen Borchert, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and a National Science Foundation CAREER Investigator; and Harold Pardue, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School and associate vice president for academic affairs.
Pardue, who attended the regional competition, praised Naaz’s performance. “She put in a commanding presentation and represented the University of South Alabama extremely well,” he said. The Graduate School funded Naaz’s travel to attend the meeting.
Borchert also highlighted Naaz’s accomplishments. “Sayema is an extraordinary student. Her project is amazing, and I couldn’t be more proud,” he said.
Naaz conducts her research in the Borchert Lab at the Whiddon College of Medicine, and her work continues to contribute to a growing understanding of bacterial persistence and chronic infection.