ARCS Oregon scholar Sarah Caballero, a PhD student in food science and technology, took home first place in Oregon State University’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition and advances to the regional stage in March, where she will compete at the Western Association of Graduate Schools event in Denver. 

The 3MT® competition, initially developed by The University of Queensland, challenges PhD students to distill their complex research into a compelling three-minute presentation. It’s a test of both clarity and creativity, sharpening their ability to communicate groundbreaking ideas to a broad audience. 

Sarah’s winning presentation, “Wine and Wildfires: Shielding Wine Grapes from Wildfire Smoke,” showcased her innovative work on protecting vineyards from smoke damage—an issue of growing urgency for the wine industry. Now, she’ll bring her research to a bigger stage in Denver. 

Best of luck, Sarah!