Launched in 2013 and inspired by the 3 Minute Thesis competition, UCSB's Grad Slam Showcase is an exciting annual event that brings our campus community together and spotlights the amazing research being done by our graduate students. Participants present their research in 3-minute talks that are clear, captivating, and compelling to diverse audiences.
Kseniia Karnaukh, 2023 Grad Slam Finalist
Effective communication is a core competency in any professional field, whether academia or industry, and we empower students to find their unique voice.
We offer extensive training opportunities in public speaking for all of our participants focusing on skills like content development, stage presence, and visuals. We also offer practice sessions so that participants can get feedback on their talks.
The preliminary rounds of the showcase are grouped by division so that students start off by presenting to an audience of peers in disciplines similar to their own.
The student who receives the highest score in each of these preliminary rounds moves on to the Final Round, where they share their research with the broader campus and community.
We encourage students to present in whatever way they feel is most suitable for communicating their work. There is no restriction on the number and content of slides they may use, and presenters are free to incorporate props or other creative forms of expression.
Presenters are evaluated by diverse panels of judges representing the types of audiences they will encounter along their professional journeys. Judges come from among faculty, staff, students, and community members, and they evaluate each talk for Accessibility, Organization, Delivery, and Engagement.
The goal of Grad Slam is to inspire our graduate students and captivate our community. Join us to celebrate the future of research.