The College of Science congratulates Supuni Dhameera Gangani Thennakoon Mudalige Silva for winning first place in this year's Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT), where graduate students present their thesis or dissertation in less than three minutes in the hope of winning cash prizes. The competition is hosted annually by the UNT Toulouse Graduate School.
Her win came after a traumatic experience earlier in the year that severely affected her studies, but Supuni worked hard to enter the competition to boost her morale and get back on track with her PhD work. This was her first time participating in 3MT or any other public speaking competition. Her prep work for 3MT was rigorous, including attending workshops and watching videos of past winners from UNT and across the globe. When she made it to the finals, she realized she had a chance at winning, and practiced her presentation at least twenty times a day.
"I presented my talk in front of some professors whom I work with and received their feedback. Also, I asked for my friends' insights too on my pronunciation, gestures, and posture," said Supuni. "On the day before the competition, I did a dress rehearsal at home just to feel comfortable with the attire I'd planned to wear at the competition. I watched lots and lots of Ted talks and Toastmasters speeches too, which significantly helped me in building up my confidence and other public speaking skills."
Supuni also got input from the lead judge Mike Lands. "Mike helped me improve my oration, making it simple, yet powerful. As I'm not a native English speaker, Mike went an extra mile to correct my pronunciation as well," said Supuni. "I was truly motivated by Mike's appreciation on my presentation. He identified my presentation as one of the best talks he has ever seen at UNT."
Supuni was the only contestant who chose to present to the judges in person during the 3MT preliminary rounds, rather than send in a video. Her win was hard won and well deserved.
"I feel so proud and happy!" she said. "All I wanted out of 3MT competition was to get selected to be among the finalists to regain the confidence that I have lost after my trauma. However, since I won the entire competition, despite my PTSD and depression, I feel very accomplished. Now, I'm eagerly looking forward representing UNT at the Southern Graduate Schools Conference in February 2022 in Raleigh, North Carolina."
For her PhD research, Supuni is working with Dr. Rudi Thompson on STEM education research, specifically Biology Education. She is also collaborating with Dr. Molly Atkinson in the Department of Chemistry and Dr. Danielle Keifert of the College of Education.
"I'm investigating whether previous participation in informal STEM programs during adolescence has lasting effects on the STEM identity of students as they transition into college, and their STEM related problem-solving processes," said Supuni. "I investigate the relationship between STEM identity and how students view, use, and interpret STEM representations in biology, chemistry, and math as they move through the undergraduate STEM curricula in their freshmen year."
With the information she and her collaborators receive from their research, Supuni works to develop evidence-based instructional materials to enhance students' understanding of the subjects.
Supuni says she loves everything about UNT, but that she is especially grateful to those who have helped her navigate her studies and struggles along the way.
"I'm so grateful to my PhD mentor, Dr. Rudi Thompson of the Department of Biological Sciences. The freedom and guidance she has given me to help navigate graduate school is unparallel. Also, I want to mention the support and guidance I receive from my committee members, Dr. Aaron Roberts, Dr. Art Goven, Dr. James Kennedy, and Dr. Molly Atkinson. They have been extremely kind and patient during the time I was struggling to process my trauma," said Supuni. "I would like to thank Dr. David Hoeinghaus as well for initially accepting me into his lab in Fall 2018. A huge thank goes to Ms. Ipsita Lahiri and Ms. Claudia Gonzalez for having me teach their labs. Finally, my sincere thank goes to Dr. Joseph Oppong and Ms. Vesta Stacy for organizing competitions such as 3MT that help bring out the best out of best in students at UNT."
After completing her PhD, Supuni has her mind set on a career in teaching and mentoring, continuing her academic path as a professor. Inspired by her 3MT experience, she is interested in becoming a science communicator and motivational speaker as well. She is already a writer and social media influencer in her homeland of Sri Lanka, with over 25,000 followers on Facebook.
"I receive messages from my readers daily mentioning how helpful and motivational my writeups are," she said. "Reading such messages gives me absolute happiness and motivates me in return to accomplish more and more. I'm planning to keep inspiring my readers and motivating younger generations to pursue their academic dreams."
To learn more about the 3MT competition, visit: https://tgs.unt.edu/3mt