OGSPS
Purdue Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Research Week
Each spring semester, the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS) hosts events in celebration of the achievement of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.
OGSPS
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®)
Each spring, Purdue University hosts its Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition, a dynamic event that challenges graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to present their groundbreaking research in just three minutes—using only one slide and no jargon.
OIGP Spring Reception
Each spring semester, the Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs (OIGP) hosts a reception in celebration of interdisciplinary graduate student research. Purdue’s interdisciplinary graduate programs are widely represented, along with an increasing number of departments. This year’s reception will take place on April 22nd, 2026.
Say It In 6®
Say It In 6® is a competition that challenges Purdue’s graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to tell a story about their graduate or postdoctoral research experience — in a clear, concise, and, most importantly, creative way — by using only six words and one visual aid.
InnovatED Magazine
InnovatED Magazine celebrates the innovative research and real-world impact of Purdue’s graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Each year, we feature ten exceptional scholars whose work reflects the Boilermaker spirit — bold, driven, and committed to taking the next giant leap. From groundbreaking discoveries to community-centered solutions, InnovatED showcases the research shaping the future of every discipline.
SChedule of Events
Each spring, Purdue University hosts its Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition, a dynamic event that challenges graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to present their groundbreaking research in just three minutes—using only one slide and no jargon.
This exciting competition celebrates the innovative discoveries happening at Purdue and offers the broader community a unique opportunity to learn about cutting-edge research across disciplines. We will also be announcing the winners of the Say It In 6® Competition.
Join us early this spring for an event that combines communication excellence, research impact, and community engagement.
2026 Competition Timeline
Monday, February 16, 11:59 PM – Faculty Nominations Due
Friday, March 6, 11:59 PM – Video Submissions Due
Thursday, April 2, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Semi-finals
Wednesday, April 8, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Practice | Hail Purdue Stage | PMU
Tuesday, April 21 – Rehearsal, Fowler Hall 5:00 PM EST – Mandatory
Wednesday, April 22 – Competition, Fowler Hall, 7:00 PM EST
The OIGP Spring Reception will take place on April 22nd, 2026 from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. in the North & South Ballrooms in Purdue Memorial Union. Poster judging will run from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., but the posters will be up to view until 3:00 p.m. Visit the OIGP Spring Reception website to see an agenda and learn about the event speakers and panelists.
This invite-only event celebrates research excellence and the accomplishments of Purdue’s graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. This year’s awards celebration will take place on April 23rd, 2026.
Awarding:
- Purdue Vice Provost’s Award for Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor
- Purdue OGSPS Outstanding Graduate Coordinator Award
- Purdue OGSPS Excellence in Teaching Award
- Purdue OGSPS Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award
- Purdue OGSPS Mentoring Award for Graduate Students
Recognizing:
- 3MT Winner
- InnovatED
- Most Outstanding Interdisciplinary Award Winner (MOIPA)
- Say It In 6®
Vice Provost’s Award for Outstanding Graduate Mentor – Dr. Don Lynam, College of Health and Human Sciences
OGSPS Mentoring Award for Graduate Students – Juan Mesa, College of Engineering
OGSPS Excellence in Teaching Award – Sopheak Seng, College of Education
OGSPS Excellence in Teaching Award – Andrew Gray, College of Engineering
OGSPS Excellence in Teaching Award – Emily Pearson, College of Liberal Arts
Outstanding Graduate Coordinator Award – Deirdre Ryan, College of Science
OGSPS Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award – Dr. Amogh Sirnoorkar, College of Education
Say It In 6
- People’s Choice: Saranya Ravva – College of Engineering
- Second Place: TS Shyamkumar – College of Veterinary Medicine
- Winner: Emmanuel Oluwarotimi – College of Agriculture & Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs
InnovatED
- Ayan Biswas “Giving Pacemakers a Voice: How Human Body Communication Could Transform Remote Heart Monitoring”
- Nicolas Rendon Arias “A Smarter Way to Watch Over Alpacas in Peru”
- Amirreza Mehrabi “Running on Empty? How a ‘Check Engine’ Light for the Brain Could Make Learning Fairer”
- Alejandra Rodriguez “The Silent Regulator: How One Immune Protease May Hold Clues to Endometriosis and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome”
- Seungik Oh “Effect of Social Pressure and Wealth Disparity on Resilience in Post-Disaster Debris and Waste Management”
- Ismaila Adams “When Good Proteins Go Wrong, Can AI rescue us?”
- Reshma Ughade “Detecting the Undetectable: Cosmic Rays for Nuclear Security”
- Minh Bùi “Uncovering Structure in the Knowledge of Children with Language Delay Using Vocabulary Networks”
- Gabriel Perez Schuster “From Waste to Resource: A Student’s Journey to Recover the Metal Compounds That Power Our Future”
- Purba Mandal “Aging Without Forgetting: What fuels the brains of resilient Alzheimer’s disease individuals?”
MOIPA (Most Outstanding Interdisciplinary Project Award)
- Dorothea Illner “Integrating Infrared Spectroscopy and Machine Learning for Context-Aware Protein Structure Determination — Phase I: Structure-to-Spectrum Translation”