At Massey we have a reputation for excellence in our doctoral programmes. Our PhD and professional doctorate students are high achievers and many of them earn awards and other recognition for their research.
Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition
In the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, doctoral candidates develop their presentation and communication skills by explaining their research in three minutes to a non-specialist audience.
Developed by The University of Queensland, the competition was first held in 2008, and now more than 900 universities in over 85 countries participate.
2022
Winner
Areef Shaik (College of Creative Arts)
Lifejacket design for Flood Events in India
Runner up
Manomita Das (Joint Centre of Disaster Research)
Communication, Community Action and Disaster Resilience
People's Choice Award
2021
2021 winner
Roxanne Hawi
From gimmick to game-changer: a study on the use of smartphones to expand access to higher education in sub-Saharan Africa
2021 runner-up
Morgan Heslop
Development of behavioural methods for the identification of boredom in animals
2021 people's choice
Huidan Niu
The professional role of teacher unions in NZ
2020
2020 winner and people’s choice
Capsule robot – engineering the gut
School of Food and Advanced Technology
2020 runner-up
Leadership through a Chinese lens
School of Management
2020 judges’ commendation
Nursing care for people living with diabetes in Fiji: An indigenous community context
School of Nursing
2020 judges’ commendation
School of Psychology
3MT competition 2023
Registrations are now open to eligible PhD and Professional Doctorate (Research) candidates. To access competition workshops and resources, register on the doctoral Stream site.
Eligibility
Active PhD and Professional Doctorate (Research) candidates who have successfully passed their confirmation milestone (including candidates whose thesis is under submission) by the date of their first presentation are eligible to participate in 3MT competitions at all levels, including the Asia-Pacific 3MT competition. Graduates are not eligible.
Opportunities and prizes
Participating in the competition can help your academic, presentation and research communication skills. Talking about your research increases your confidence and enhances your public profile. Plus, there is prize money.
Prizes include $1000 for the Winner, $500 for the Runner-up and $250 for People's Choice.
Competition timeline
- 7 to 10 August: 3MT peer review and practice sessions
- 16 to 18 August: Record 3MT video in One Button Studio
- Noon, Monday 21 August: Deadline for video submissions
- 12.30 pm, Wednesday 13 September: 3MT final event – winners announced
Register for the 2023 3MT competition
Visualise Your Thesis competition
The Visualise Your Thesis competition asks doctoral students to present their research project in a one-minute digital presentation to a non-specialist audience.
The competition started at the University of Melbourne in 2016.
2022
This event was not held in 2022.
2021
2021 winner
Steph Coursey
Post-glacial geomorphic evolution of Lake Wakatipu basin and landslide-generated tsunami hazards
2021 runner-up
Aylin Sen
New functionalities from plant oil bodies for food applications
2020
2020 winner
School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition
2020 runner-up
Human-centred work design and work engagement
School of Management
Dean’s list of exceptional theses
The Dean’s list is for theses that show outstanding research, analytical content, communication and presentation. Candidates who make the Dean’s list are considered among the best in their fields.
2023
Gabrielle Deborah Amodeo
Life-drawing: trauma and intimacy in the essay qua drawing
Ellie Lynn Bradley
Identification and functional characterisation of glycoside hydrolases from the kauri dieback pathogen, Phytophthora agathidicida
Judith Beyer
Antigender fashion: the boundless possibilities of gender-fluid fashion design
Rupsa Chakraborty
Mineral prospecting via biogeochemical signals and surface indicators using hyperspectral remote sensing
Jacques de Satgé
Mangrove-avifauna relationships in Aotearoa New Zealand: conservation insights from banded rail (Gallirallus philippensis) ecology
Alexandra Egan
Direct economic losses of oil spills in populated and remote locations within New Zealand
Christine Elers
Theorising Māori health and wellbeing in a whakapapa paradigm: voices from the margins
Darya Fedchuk
"It's definitely been a roller coaster": an exploration of youth service users' understandings of personal recovery and experiences of intentional peer support
Mercedes Rocafort Ferrer
Unravelling the molecular basis of subcuticular host-colonization by the apple scab fungus, Venturia inaequalis
Lesley Ann Gray
Disaster risk reduction considerations for big bodied people in Aotearoa New Zealand
Kylie Ann Legg
The biomechanical properties of the collateral ligaments in the equine distal forelimb
Junyan Liu
Resource allocations of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in response to socio-sexual environment during immature and adult stages
Tessa Ma'Auga
Movements from Pearl Rivers: Connections Flowing from Southern China to Aotearoa
Jayne Mary Mercier
What do we mean by good outcomes for youth?: an exploration of how young people and those who work with them in positive youth development contexts perceive outcomes
Huidan Niu
The politics of teacher professionalism in teacher unions: a case study of Aotearoa New Zealand
Muhammad Hammad Saleem
Deep learning-based approaches for plant disease and weed detection
Madaleine Heulwen Trigg
From Dough to Wheat: A Postman Performance Practice with Companion Species.
Hien Thi Dieu Troung
Characterising honeys in situ by spectral methods
Vajisha Udayangi Wanniarachchi
Analysing underpinning patterns in social media posts that promote fat stigmatisation
Achini Shanika Weerasinghe
The impacts of occupant behaviours on energy consumption in New Zealand office buildings
Alvaro Sebastian Wehrle Martinez
Investigating the pathogenesis of catastrophic humeral fractures in dairy heifers in New Zealand
Benjamin Patrick Westberry
The disordered and ordered-state structures of κ-carrageenan: an X-ray scattering, molecular dynamics, and density-functional theory study
2022
Investigations into the impact of feed form and age on the standardised ileal amino acid digestibility of feed ingredients for broiler chickens
Hona Lambert Black
He kākano nō te taunuke o te hue
Samuel James Brooke
The defect modes of MoS₂: indirect double resonance Raman spectroscopy in transition metal dichalcogenides
Daniel Peter Carlisle
Using market research methodologies to advance public engagement with emerging climate technologies
Lirong Cheng
Physico-chemical properties and stability of lipid droplet-stabilised emulsions
Rose Moyra Collis
Metabolic characteristics and genomic epidemiology of Escherichia coli serogroup O145
Simone Giovanardi
The shape of penguins in four dimensions: assessing macroevolutionary shifts in a constructional morphology framework
Sara Ebony Zylka Harrison
Exploring the data needs and sources for severe weather impact forecasts and warnings
Rongyao Hu
Graph learning and its applications
Yiying Huang
Doctor of Philosophy
The sport formation and toxin production in biofilms of Bacillus cereus
Imran Ishrat
Doctor of Philosophy
Effect of Industry Changes on Quality and Sustainability in the Luxury Apparel Value Chains: The Case of Cashmere Industry in India
Isuri Achintha Jayawardana
Effect of Kiwifruit actinidin on the digestion of gluten proteins
Eloise Jillings
Doctor of Philosophy
Rapua te mea ngaro: exploring the access of Maori to veterinary education in Aotearoa New Zealand
Swati Jivanji
The genetic characterisation of coat colour and patterning traits in cattle
Made Diah Lestari
Multigenerational caregiving for older people in Bali : combining macro and micro perspectives to understand ageing, family, and caregiving
Michael McVeagh
Doctor of Philosophy
Efficient Markov bases for Z-polytope sampling
Philip Mecredy
Do older consumers purchase differently?: the effect of age on brand awareness, consideration, and purchase
Kevin Miles
Doctor of Philosophy
Along the waterline: cameraless photography and the haptic register of nocturnal seaborne activity
Margaret Ruth Moores
Miniatures of reality : an inter-photo-textual investigation of ekphrasis of photographs
Jabin Nesaraj
Doctor of Philosophy
Understanding the population genetic structure of bovine mastitis-causing Staphylococcus aureus in New Zealand to identify potential vaccine candidates using reverse vaccinology
Alex Thomas O'Neil
Development of a molecular toolbox for multifunctional lanthanide-based supramolecular materials
Sashikumar Ramamirtham
Structure-rheology relationships of protein-polysaccharide complexes at oil/water interfaces
Angelique Varnya Reweti
Mā te whiritahi, ka whakatutuki ai ngā pūmanawa ā tāngata = Together weaving the realisation of potential : exploring the social, cultural and health benefits of whānau-centred initiatives
Raphael Isaac Spiekermann
Quantifying the performance of silvopastoralism for landslide erosion and sediment control in New Zealand’s hill country
Kathryn Maree Tiplady
The role of Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectroscopy in improving the prediction of new and existing traits in New Zealand dairy cattle
Marketa Vlkova
Doctor of Philosophy
Natural variation in bacterial gene regulation
Karin van der Walt
Better lives for all?: prospects for empowerment through marine wildlife tourism in Gansbaai, South Africa
Mingrui Yang
Towards exact numerical solutions of quantum many-body problems in ultracold Bose gases
Jony Eko Yulianto
The everyday conduct of inter-ethnic marriages in Indonesia: participants navigating points of tension and cultivating harmony through adaptive socio-cultural practices
2021
Guanyu Ran
Doctor of Philosophy (Social Policy)
Family finds a way: experiences of multigenerational transnational new Chines immigrant families in New Zealand
Caroline Day
Doctor of Philosophy (Public Health)
Negotiating grandmothering, paid employment and regular childcare in urban Aotearoa New Zealand
Akinson Tumbure
Doctor of Philosophy (Soil Science)
The development and assessment of alternative techniques to improve the agronomic value of Dorowa phosphate rock (Zimbabwe)
Thi Thu Ha Nguyen
Doctor of Philosophy
Essays on dynamics of the housing market
Christopher Andrews
Doctor of Philosophy
Stress and reproduction in domestic cats (Felis catus) as a model for endangered felids
Malin Undin
Doctor of Philosophy
Studies of how to improve translocation outcomes of Apteryx mantelli focusing on breeding, hybrids, diversity, and telomeres
Anthony Mattson
Doctor of Philosophy
Be(com)ing men in another place: the migrant men of Gandhi Nivas and their violent stories
Branka Vasilic
Doctor of Philosophy
Supporting interprofessional collaborative practice through relational orientation
Laura David
Doctor of Philosophy
Studies on the measurement of calcium digestibility in raw materials for poultry and of digestible calcium requirement of broiler starters
2020
Mahina-A-Rangi Baker
Doctor of Philosophy
Te kete tua-ātea, Māori modelling of the future and the kaitiakitanga of water
Mudassar Hasan
Doctor of Philosophy
Essays on spillover effects of economic and geopolitical uncertainty
Kevin Lawrence
Doctor of Philosophy (Veterinary Clinical Sciences)
The epidemiology of Theileria orientalis Ikeda type in New Zealand
Fiona McKergow
Doctor of Philosophy (History)
Colonial textile culture in mid-nineteenth century Aotearoa New Zealand
Emma Miller
Doctor of Clinical Psychology
An internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy for clinical perfectionism
Muhammad Naeem
Doctor of Philosophy
Essays on commodity market uncertainties
Khanh Nguyen
Doctor of Philosophy
Representation of autism in Vietnamese online news media between 2006 and 2016
Thi Phuoc Van Nguyen
Doctor of Philosophy
The investigation of non-contact vital signs detection microwave theoretical model and smart sensing systems
Christian Offen
Doctor of Philosophy (Mathematics)
Analysis of Hamiltonian boundary value problems and symplectic integration
Callum Rees
Doctor of Philosophy (Earth Sciences)
The hydrogeology of the Pourewa sub-catchment, Rangitikei, New Zealand
Alexander Schnack
Doctor of Philosophy
Is it worthwhile going immersive? Evaluating the performance of virtual simulated stores for shopper research
Marion Lara Tan
Doctor of Philosophy
Usability of disaster apps: Understanding the perspectives of the public as end-users
Heather Thomas
Doctor of Education (Education)
Pedagogies of presence: Contemplative education across the disciplines in Aotearoa New Zealand
Danchen Yang
Doctor of Philosophy
Epidemiological studies of bovine digital dermatitis in pasture-based dairy system in New Zealand
Syeda Kanwal Zaidi
Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering)
Effective relaying mechanisms in future device to device communication
Hooman Alavizadeh
Doctor of Philosophy
Effective security analysis for combinations of MTD techniques on cloud computing
Susan Bisschoff
Doctor of Philosophy
Dynamic assessment as an early screening tool for identifying New Zealand children at risk of reading difficulty upon school entry”
Nikolai Kondratev
Doctor of Philosophy
Identification of mechanisms defining resistance and susceptibility of Camellia plants to necrotrophic petal blight disease
Istvan Hajdu
Doctor of Philosophy (Agriculture and Horticulture)
Soil water modelling in hill country, New Zealand
Ashleigh Rushton
Doctor of Philosophy
But what about the men?: storying rural men’s experiences and perspectives of the 2016 Kaikoura/Waiau Earthquake, Aotearoa New Zealand
Lynsey Ellis
Doctor of Philosophy (Social Work)
Sustainable social work: a response to the climate emergency from social work education and practice in Aotearoa, New Zealand
Jess Richards
Doctor of Philosophy (Fine Arts)
Illusions, transformations, and iterations: storytelling as fiction, image, artefact
Gabriele Frigerio Porta
Doctor of Philosophy (Statistics)
Statistical models for multihazards
Vice Chancellor’s doctoral scholarships
The Vice Chancellor’s doctoral scholarship is the most prestigious domestic scholarship at Massey. Our Vice Chancellor’s doctoral scholars all have a record of exceptional academic achievement.
2021
Vice Chancellor’s doctoral scholars – full-time
Cassie Andersen
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Amelia Barker
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Delwyn Blondell
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Stella Corkery
College of Creative Arts
Leda Farrow
College of Creative Arts
Morgan Heslop
College of Sciences
Brandon Jones
College of Sciences
Johanna Thomas-Maude
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Vice Chancellor’s Pacific doctoral scholars – full-time
Rachael Hall
College of Creative Arts
2020
Vice Chancellor’s doctoral scholars – full-time
Mikaela Carter
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Yun-Seon Choi
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Kathryn Connolly
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Sophia Holdsworth
College of Sciences
Lin Lin
Massey Business School
Sarah Tapscott
College of Sciences
Annabel Wilson
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Vice Chancellor’s Māori doctoral scholars – full-time
Alisha Hobbs
College of Sciences
Rebecca MacKenzie
College of Health
Vice Chancellor’s doctoral scholars – part-time
Hanna Brookie
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Jade Pope
College of Sciences
Estelle Pretorius
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Contact us
If you have any questions about doctoral study, contact us. Include your student ID number if you’re a current student.
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