Cindy Vargas turned a childhood dream of protecting the ocean into award-winning research focused on sea turtle conservation and sustainable fisheries. In this spotlight, the first-generation scholar and NSF Graduate Research Fellow shares how working alongside fishing communities in Mexico reshaped her approach to science, strengthened her storytelling and deepened her belief that conservation starts with people.

This interactive workshop series will help you communicate your research with clarity and confidence. You’ll learn how to explain your research to audiences beyond your discipline, create a compelling visual slide and deliver an engaging presentation in just three minutes.

When Aliyah Egan stepped onto the stage as a master’s student in last year’s Graduate College Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, she faced a challenge familiar to many researchers: explaining complex, specialized work to an audience with little or no background in her field.