Plastic degradation in 180 seconds
Sarah Ziemann (center) was the winner of the CEGE 3MT competition. She holds the travelling Minnesota Nice trophy. She is pictured with her fellow competitors (from left) Joao Gabriel Da Costa De Souza Duarte, Structures (advised by Ketson Dos Santos); Abigail Matheny, Environmental (advised by Bill Arnold); and on the right side, Tareq Bastawisy, Environmental (advised by Tim LaPara); and Kwangho Baek, Transportation (advised by Alireza Khani).
In just 180 seconds, Sarah Ziemann compellingly explained her research on how plastics break apart into microplastics and nanoplastics in the natural environment. With that performance, she won the 2025 College of Science and Engineering Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition .
The 3MT competition challenges Ph.D. students to communicate their research in just three minutes using language accessible to non-experts. The goals are to build communications skills, to share research more widely, and to give student researchers greater visibility. Ziemann now moves on to the University-wide 3MT, which will happen Friday, November 14th (10 am in Coffman Memorial Union Theater).
Ziemann is a Ph.D. student studying environmental engineering in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering and is advised by Boya Xiong and Bill Arnold. Her specific focus is on how mechanical forces, like sand abrasion in a beach or riverbed environment, can cause a plastic to degrade.
About her experience, Ziemann said, "I have really enjoyed participating in 3MT competition and sharing the experience with my friends and family. I love discussing my research with others, and 3MT has helped me to develop a short elevator pitch to engage and excite others about Ph.D.-level research!"
Professor Sebastian Behrens, Director of Graduate Studies in CEGE, said, "This is a great achievement for Sarah and a great representation of CEGE's departmental research at the college-level."
Come and cheer Sarah Ziemann on to victory in the University-wide 3MT competition, which will happen Friday, November 14th, at 10 am in Coffman Memorial Union Theater (room 110).
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