Kinesiology graduate student named finalist in UNC Charlotte Three Minute Thesis competition

In about the same amount of time it takes to microwave popcorn, Seamus Finerghty ’26 will explain under which conditions a particular strength and conditioning technique works best.  

He’ll make this quick presentation to a non-specialist judging panel and audience during UNC Charlotte’s annual Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT) November 13 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Fretwell auditorium.

Distilling complicated research projects into bite-size pieces for easy comprehension is the goal of the 3MT competition, which was developed in 2008 at the University of Queensland in Australia. 3MT competitions are now held in over 900 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide.

Finerghty, a Kinesiology graduate student who holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from UNC Charlotte, will have just three minutes and one slide to explain his study, which tested whether gender and relative strength affect jump strategy during accentuated eccentric loading (AEL).

“This study is important because it contributes significantly to exercise prescription in strength and conditioning by further exploring under what conditions AEL works best,” Finerghty said. “Not only does the study explore different conditions of AEL but also jump strategy (the way in which you jump), which is important for practitioners to keep in mind.”

Finerghty was selected as one of 11 finalists from a field of 74 graduate students who participated in UNC Charlotte’s preliminary 3MT round. He’s one of only three master’s students in this year’s competition. He and the other finalists will contend for a $1,500 grand prize and the opportunity to compete in the regional 3MT competition at the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools.

“I thrive most in an environment that continuously challenges me,” Finerghty said about why he dove into the 3MT competition. “It’s an incredible opportunity to gain experience in research communication and public speaking.”