Two ECE students advance to Three-Minute Thesis finals

Two PhD students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are among nine graduate students who have advanced to the campus finals of the Three Minute Thesis competition.

Three Minute Thesis is an international research communication competition in which graduate students explain their research to a general, non-specialist audience. The nine UW–Madison finalists advanced from a semi-final round of competition in October, 2024. At the campus finals, scheduled for February 14, 2025, they’ll compete for up to $1,000 in cash prizes and a chance to represent UW–Madison at the regional level of competition.

The ECE finalists include Peter Kaladius, who works in the research group of Chris Brace, a professor of radiology and biomedical engineering. His research focuses on building direct ablation antennas for specialized needs. Ablation antennas are used to deliver microwave energy to human tissues to kill cancer cells and, in some circumstances, can aid in bone growth. His presentation is titled, “Treating Uneven Bone Growth in Legs.”

David Skrovanek successfully defended his PhD in December 2024 and is continuing his work as a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of ECE Professor Dan Ludois. Skrovanek studies power conversion architecture for offshore wind farms. He is also founder and CEO of Madison-based Skylark Energy Solutions, a startup specializing in dynamic line ratings (DLR), high-voltage, direct-current transmission, and fiber-optic technologies. His presentation is titled, “There is no transition without transmission.”

The Graduate School at UW-Madison encourages all master’s and PhD students in research-based programs to participate in the Three Minute Thesis movement to deepen their research communication skills. Developing an accessible, intriguing three-minute research talk is not only useful for the competition, but aids in explaining research to family, friends, or hiring committees.

Learn more about UW-Madison’s Three Minute Thesis competition here.

Featured Image: Graduate student Kristen Kehl-Floberg presents her talk, “Getting the Signal: Brain fog and disability in Long COVID” at the 2024 UW–Madison Three Minute Thesis finals.