CECREH doctoral researchers Amin Sobhani, Mehrdad Nourbakhsh, Temidayo Popoola, and Paul Iyoha participated in Texas Tech University’s 2026 Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) competition, held September 29–30. The annual event challenges graduate students to explain the purpose and significance of their research in three minutes or less for a non-specialist audience, using a single static slide.
The 3MT™ format turns complex research into a clear public story—what the problem is, how the research responds, and why the results matter.
The presentations reflected several dimensions of CECREH’s work: Sobhani discussed systems approaches to post-disaster housing reconstruction and recovery timelines; Nourbakhsh focused on manufactured-housing performance under hurricane winds; Popoola addressed flood risk and housing-loss modeling; and Iyoha highlighted disaster-resilient construction using 3D-printed concrete wall systems.
Participation in 3MT™ supports CECREH’s broader commitment to making research useful beyond academic audiences. Clear communication helps connect technical findings with students, practitioners, public agencies, community partners, and others who make decisions about housing resilience and disaster recovery.
The competition also gave the researchers an opportunity to sharpen their presentation skills, receive feedback from an interdisciplinary audience, and communicate how their individual studies contribute to CECREH’s shared mission.
Temidayo Popoola and Paul Iyoha advanced to the final round of the competition. Paul Iyoha ultimately placed third.