On March 27, two Heller students participated in the fifth annual Brandeis Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Arjun Kumar Singh, a student in the Heller MA GSPM program, was awarded first place for his presentation, “Paradox of People’s Power,” and Ophelia Delali Akoto, a Heller PhD candidate, presented her research, “From STEM Education to STEM Occupations.” The Brandeis 3MT Competition is a university-sponsored speaking competition designed to showcase graduate student research in three-minute talks to a general audience. This is an opportunity for graduate students engaged in original research to develop communication and presentation skills while sharing their work with faculty, staff and students across Brandeis University.
During Singh’s presentation, he described his research which involves a unique dataset covering more than 150,000 farmer cooperatives across India. Singh matched the cooperatives with over 110,000 protest events then used statistical models to predict protest activity based on the farmer cooperatives’ presence. The results of his research indicate a “sweet spot” where farmers have just enough organization to mobilize but not enough to contain the frustration, and yet they are independent enough to challenge authority. According to Singh, this finding goes far beyond Indian farmers: “Wherever people organize together, the logic is the same: protests depend on the strength of the institutions that structure everyday life. Understanding this helps us see how people struggle to belong as rightful, legitimate members of their own communities.” In addition to winning the $1,000 prize, Singh will be advancing to the regional 3MT competition.
“3MT was a powerful experience, and I'm grateful to have come first. What really makes this achievement special for me is that I spoke with passion and love for what I do, and was perhaps able to express that passion when speaking. Therefore, going through this process helped me to remind myself and articulate why I do this kind of research,” says Singh. “I'm extremely grateful to Heller for giving me the freedom to do this kind of work and supporting me at every step. My research interests are greatly shaped by the Heller scholars who not only produce strong scholarship but also actively work as practitioners to advance shared goals.”
Akoto’s presentation focused on her dissertation research examining how STEM education shapes the livelihood outcomes of women and girls in Ghana. Through a mixed-methods approach, Akoto explores how girls are guided into STEM pathways, the barriers they face in school and employment and the broader implications for gender equity and labor-force participation. While her research is based in Ghana, Akoto says the issue has much broader global relevance, as women remain underrepresented in STEM in many parts of the world, including the United States.
“One of the central takeaways from my research is that teacher guidance, school culture and labor-market structures all play powerful roles in shaping whether girls can move from education into STEM careers. My findings point to the importance of strengthening teacher guidance, expanding mentorship and internship opportunities and improving equitable hiring and pay practices,” says Akoto. “This experience showed me how public speaking can truly bring research to life. It reminded me that having strong ideas is important, but how you communicate them matters just as much. That is a lesson I will carry with me moving forward. I am thankful for the education I have received at Heller and how it has shaped my experiences.”