Yellowstone Times

Montana State University is gearing up for its third annual Research Celebration, scheduled to take place on April 21 at Norm Asbjornson Hall’s Inspiration Hall. The event, running from 3 to 5:30 p.m., invites public participation at no cost.

The theme for this year's gathering is “Celebrating Creativity.” Starting the event, the university-wide Three-Minute Thesis competition will feature MSU graduate students presenting their research in 180-second segments, a format originally developed by the University of Queensland in Australia.

Alison Harmon, MSU’s vice president for research and economic development, expressed enthusiasm about the participation of graduate students: “Our graduate students are quite accomplished, and it’s great to hear them speak about their work, be proud of that and get a lot of applause.”

The event will also see 26 individuals from MSU—including students, faculty, staff, and administrators—receiving Everyday Hero Awards. These awards serve to acknowledge the university's research, creativity, and innovation efforts that often go unrecognized.

MSU continues to distinguish itself among the nation’s research institutions, being one of 187 universities recognized with an R1 designation this year from the Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education and the American Council on Education. MSU set a new record last year with nearly $258 million invested in research expenditures.

“We’re doing quite a lot here at MSU,” Harmon added. “We have amazing people, and it’s an opportunity to look back on the year, reflect, look at the challenges, and look at all the accomplishments and show gratitude for everyone involved.”

Interested participants can find more information and RSVP details on MSU's website.