Ontario Tech graduate student wins Three Minute Thesis competition, advances to provincial final

Salma Bafagih, a graduate student at Ontario Tech University, has been named the winner of the university’s 2025 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, according to the university. Bafagih is set to represent Ontario Tech at the provincial 3MT competition on May 14, which will take place at the University of Toronto.

The 3MT competition, according to Ontario Tech University, challenges graduate students to explain their research and its wider impact in three minutes or less to a panel of judges who are not specialists in the field. Participants may use only one static slide as a visual aid during their presentation.

Bafagih's presentation, titled "What’s on your plate? Examining predictors of food literacy among Canadian adults," focused on identifying factors that influence food literacy across Canada. Ontario Tech University reported that her research aims to explore how food literacy is connected to dietary choices on a national level. The university stated that Bafagih’s interest in nutrition research began during her undergraduate studies, influenced by her experiences observing family members' health and eating habits. Her work was supervised by Dr. JoAnne Arcand, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

According to the university, the competition included a preliminary round on March 19 to select six finalists for the final round and awards presentation, which took place on March 20. The panel of judges included City of Oshawa councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri, Peel Police Service Board member Alan Boughton, Jeff Goldman of Tamarac Investment Group, Paul Douglas of Aecon Nuclear, and Ontario Market Lead Owen Marshall-Glew.

Other finalists, as reported by Ontario Tech University, included Spencer Hang, Alicia Kollaard, Varvara Ninowsky, Aliyat Olatinwo, and Gillian Slade. Spencer Hang was the recipient of the People’s Choice award, and Varvara Ninowsky placed second. The listed participants represented graduate programs such as applied bioscience, kinesiology, and forensic psychology.

Ontario Tech University reported that the winner received $1,000 and the opportunity to compete at the provincial level. The second place finalist was awarded $500. The People’s Choice award recipient received $250. The university stated that this year’s competition was sponsored by belairdirect.