Timing is Everything in This Year’s Big Pitch Competition

Three minutes. Six finalists. One big prize.

Those were the stakes at Claremont Graduate University’s fifth annual Big Pitch Competition, where graduate students put their research — and their nerves — to the test.

With just 180 seconds on the clock, each contestant was tasked with transforming a complex thesis into a clear, compelling, and captivating presentation. The goal? Win over the judges, engage the audience, and show that even the biggest ideas can shine when they’re bite-size.

“A greater focus is being placed on academic work that resonates with a wider audience, with people who typically don’t pay attention to academic publications, said Marcus Weakley, director of the Center for Writing & Rhetoric at CGU and the facilitator for the event. “The Big Pitch hones this 21st Century skill.”

What started in 2008 as the Three-Minute Thesis at the University of Queensland has grown into a global competition, now hosted by over 900 universities. The challenge is simple but tough: Participants have three minutes and one PowerPoint slide to present their research. Judges score them on clarity, content, and slide effectiveness. But go over time, and you’re disqualified.

Beyond the competition, the benefits are undeniable. Students sharpen their ability to communicate complex ideas in a clear, engaging way — an essential skill for networking, job interviews, and public speaking.

“Often times, graduate students or early academic career professionals will find themselves in a position where they have to do an elevator pitch,” Weekly said. “But instead of it being about their career trajectory and goals, it’s about their academic projects and milestones. The Big Pitch helps them with just that scenario.”

Lori Denning, a PhD student in religion, captivated the judges with “The Women of Samson,” earning her the top spot and a $1,000 prize.

“I study ancient scripture because these texts still speak,” she said. “Not just as religious documents, but as masterful works of literature that continue to shape how we think, govern, and believe.”

Denning’s research takes a fresh look at the 3,500-year-old Hebrew text of Samson, not as history or morality but as literature.

“For thousands of years, Samson’s story in the Bible has been told as a tale of strength, failure, and redemption. It has inspired films, shaped sermons, and influenced laws. And let’s be honest — he’s got all the makings of a biblical superhero.”

Denning’s deeper reading of the text led her to an unexpected discovery. “When I focused on the text itself, something unexpected emerged. There were four women, rarely mentioned and never studied together. And they totally reshape the story.” By shifting the focus away from Samson and examining the structure, patterns, and supporting characters, she uncovered a deeper message, one about a collapsing society and not just a fallen hero.

Still, distilling centuries of interpretation into a three-minute talk is a daunting task. But Denning knew the best way to make an old story feel new — just tell it differently. “I went back to what really mattered in the story and to us. And then I let the story tell itself. Before I stepped up, I reminded myself: This story still matters. And I believe it does, and it clearly resonated with the judges!”

Denning, who teaches at BYU, aims to bring these texts into her classroom, helping students learn how to critically analyze them. “Keep telling the stories that matter,” she urged. “Because these stories still shape our world. The question is: Are we reading them the way they were meant to be read?”

The Big Pitch is open to all CGU master’s and doctoral students, no matter where they are in their academic journey. The other finalists were:

• Second place: Christina Schwartz, positive developmental psychology ($500 prize)
  “From Strength to Purpose: Exploring the Relationships Between Character Strengths and Purpose in Life”
• Third place: Maneesha Sarda, English ($250 prize)
  “Dante’s Bodily Fatigue: A Text of Cosmic Angst in Dante’s The Divine Comedy”
• Third place: Michelle Blaya-Burgo, applied social psychology ($250)
  “Giving It All––to Heal or Harm: A Deeper Look into Self-Sacrifice”
• Audience’s choice: Ashley Watterson, organizational behavior
  “Identity as a Resource: The Role of Multiracial Identity Integration in Developing Leader Adaptability”
• Emily Zavala, positive organizational psychology
  “Stress on the line: How Secondary Traumatic Stress Shapes Risk Perception in 9-1-1 Calls”