Written by Rachel Kraft Mattson
Watch Koushik Sampath's winning presentation on YouTube!
The Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering is proud to announce the success of BBSEM graduate student Koushik Sampath, who received First Place for the University-wide 3-Minute Thesis competition, held on November 10, 2023.
The 3-Minute Thesis (3MT®) challenges students to communicate the significance of their projects without the use of props or industry jargon, in just three minutes
Sampath's winning presentation, titled: "Einstein"ing the Process: From Wet to Dry Paper, demonstrated his ability to turn complex scientific research into an easy to understand and digestible three minute presentation. The presentation provided a breakdown of Sampath’s main dissertation topic on Process Intensification for Drying and Water Removal in Paper and Porous Biomaterials, which he has been working on under a Department of Energy funded project led by BBE Professor Shri Ramaswamy.
In his presentation, Sampath addressed the intricacies of the paper industry's energy and carbon footprint while emphasizing how process intensification techniques can significantly reduce costs, energy consumption, time, and environmental impact.
The paper industry, valued at approximately $100 billion in the US, has a commitment to achieving around a 30% reduction in the time, energy, and costs associated with paper production. Through the incorporation of acoustics and electromagnetic waves, and adopting a volumetric approach to drying, Sampath's research has the potential to revolutionize not only bioproduct-based industries but also drying technologies in other fields.
The Department of BBE extends its congratulations to Koushik Sampath on his success in this competition. Sampath also won first place and people's choice award in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences Science in Seconds competition on October 30, 2023.