RIT 3MT Finalists and Winners

2025 Competition Winners

First Place
Sagar Lekhak, Imaging Science PhD
Advisor: Emmett Ientilucci
No More Deadly Butterflies: Drone and AI Against Landmines
Sagar will advance to represent RIT at the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS) Regional 3MT Competition, which will be held virtually in Spring 2026.

Runner-Up
Sherralyn Sneezer, Sustainability PhD
Advisor: Nathan Williams
In Pursuit of Energy Sovereignty: Renewable Energy and Independence

People’s Choice
Priya Benny Chiriyankandath, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering PhD
Advisor: Emiliano Brini
How Can We Manage Protein Conformations for Better Therapeutics and Drug Discovery?

2025 3MT Finalists

Name

Program

3MT Title

Sherralyn Sneezer

Sustainability  

In Pursuit of Energy Sovereignty: Using Renewable Energy to Further Native American Tribes' Visions      

Katie Malarke

Sustainability  

Turning Agricultural Plastics into Sustainable Solutions

Priya Benny Chiriyankandath  

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering 

Drug Discovery & Allostery Focus

Alexa Kaminski

Sustainability

Social, environmental, and economic sustainability of hydroponic farming systems

Sagar Lekhak

Imaging Science

No More Deadly Butterflies: A Multi-sensor Drone and AI Against PFM-1 Landmines

Jayden  Leonard

Physics

Charged Excitons and Quantum Dots: Foundations for Future Research


2025 Judges
Frank Sklarsky, Alumnus and RIT Board of Trustees, Vice Chair
Kathleen Davis, Vice President, Enrollment Management and Associate Provost
Ryne Raffaelle, Vice President for Research
Rebecca Brubaker, Alumnus and Graduate Dean’s Advisory Council, Chair

2024 Competition Winners


First Place and People's Choice Award Winner
Sai Sri Nidhi Munaganuru, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Can carbon composite 3D printing technology revolutionize the world?
Watch Sai Sri Nidhi Munaganuru give her Three Minute 3MT® presentation

Runner-Up 
Arianna Giguere, Imaging Science
Navigating Vision Loss: Driving Toward Recovery with VR
Watch Arianna Giguere give her Three Minute 3MT® presentation 

2024 3MT Finalists

Name

Program

3MT Title

Kristina Chomiak

Sustainability

Unraveling trends of plastic pollution in the wasted food stream

Arianna Giguere

Imaging Science

Navigating Vision Loss: Driving Toward Recovery with VR

Mehran Mansouri

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering

Do Cells Remember Their Terrain? Exploring Topographical Memory in Cell Migration

Sai Sri Nidhi Munaganuru

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Can carbon composite 3D printing technology revolutionize the world?

Jan Wasilewski

Imaging Science

AI-Powered Crop Protection: Detecting Plant Diseases Before They Strike

Khushbu Zope

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Predicting the Future of 3D Printed Metal Parts


2024 Judges
Dr. David Munson, RIT President
Cassandra Nickels, Associate Vice President, Marketing Strategy
Frank Sklarsky, Alumnus and RIT Board of Trustees Member
Vanessa J. Herman, Vice President for Government and Community Relations