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The 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

That’s the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School’s eighth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom on Feb. 13, 2025, from 4 to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but .

This event challenges students to explain their thesis to the general public. They are then evaluated by a panel of judges from across the university and local community, including Waleed Abdalati, executive director of the Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and professor of geography; Jared Bahir Browsh, director of critical sports studies and an assistant teaching professor; Sonia DeLuca Fernández, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming; and Aaron Brockett, City of Boulder mayor.

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll feature each of the competitors. Today is Marwa Yacouti, a doctoral candidate in aerospace engineering sciences, with a focus on materials. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Unveiling the hidden stories of materials.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

My research uses computational modeling and artificial intelligence to predict and optimize the behavior of high-performance materials for advanced engineering applications.

What do you feel is the significance of your research to the every day audience?

Even though I focus mainly on aerospace applications, my research is significant to the everyday audience because it helps create stronger, lighter, and more efficient materials that improve the performance and safety of everything from infrastructure to the automotive industry.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

Materials are everywhere! They form the backbone of everything we rely on from cities' infrastructures to aerospace systems. Their importance is what initially drew me to this field, but what keeps me engaged is their incredible versatility and potential. My journey has been interdisciplinary from the start. I began in civil engineering, studying structures and infrastructures, then transitioned to materials science, where I worked on composite materials. Along the way, I recognized the power of computational tools to revolutionize how we design and analyze materials. 

So to deepen my knowledge, I took courses from the computer science department, which expanded my skill set and allowed me to integrate artificial intelligence into my work. What excites me most is how common principles, such as optimization, prediction, and modeling, can connect different disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach has been central to my research, enabling me to develop innovative solutions at the intersection of materials science, engineering and computer science. It’s amazing to see how these fields come together to address complex challenges.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

My favorite thing about my research is the constant opportunity to learn something new and be surprised by the behavior of materials, sometimes, they reveal unexpected properties that challenge our assumptions and open up exciting possibilities for innovation.

What did you do before coming to ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder for graduate school?

Before coming to ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder for graduate school, I lived in France for two years and then went to Virginia Tech to pursue a master’s in civil engineering.

What are your hobbies/what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic work?

I enjoy painting natural scenery and drawing portraits.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I enjoy reading horror novels, even though I can't watch horror movies. Reading allows me to experience the suspense and thrill in a way that feels more manageable.