The 2025 UOW Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition final will be judged by a panel of experts providing a broad range of research experience and insight. The judges will carefully evaluate each presentation, drawing on their deep knowledge to help identify outstanding communication and research impact.
Meet our 2025 Panel of esteemed Judges
Dr Paul Di Pietro
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Engagement)
University of Wollongong
Dr Di Pietro is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Engagement) dedicated to driving innovation by partnering with industry, business and government to solve the challenges we face as a community. Through deep collaboration and cutting-edge research, the Industry and Engagement team are dedicated to developing new solutions that address these challenges, driving growth for communities, industries and businesses.
Professor Simon Moss
Dean of Graduate Research
University of Wollongong
Professor Simon Moss is the Dean of Graduate Research at the University of Wollongong and a registered organisational psychologist. He has published extensively on how organisational policies affect wellbeing and innovation, and has worked in leadership and change management consulting since 1998.
Distinguished Professor Sharon Robinson AM
Australian Laureate Fellow
Deputy Director (Science Implementation), Saving Antarctica's Environmental Future (SAEF)
University of Wollongong
Distinguished Professor Sharon Robinson is an internationally recognised plant ecophysiologist whose research on Antarctic mosses has shaped conservation efforts across the continent. She has led 14 Antarctic expeditions, holds an Australian Laureate Fellowship, and contributes to global science policy as Deputy Director for the ARC initiative Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, and as a lead author for the UN Environment Programme.
Dr Mary Papakosmas
Lecturer, School of Business
University of Wollongong
Dr Mary Papakosmas is an award-winning journalist and educator who is now a Lecturer in Public Relations and Communications at UOW’s Faculty of Business and Law. She uses her industry experience to create engaging learning environments that prepare students for their professional futures.
Elahe Minaei
PhD Candidate
Winner of the 2024 UOW 3MT Final
Elahe Minaei is a third-year PhD student in the Perrow Lab at UOW, where her research focuses on pancreatic cancer. A storyteller and poet, she received Promega’s Rising Researcher Award in 2024 and believes innovation is born where science and imagination meet.