INFORMATION FOR JUDGES

We are looking for knowledgeable professionals in a variety of disciplines to act as judges.

The 90 Second Thesis competition is composed of graduate students from all schools across campus. These students are asked to communicate the essence of their research and its importance in 90 seconds or less.   As a judge, you will be asked to evaluate the participants’ ability to engage their audience intellectually, rather than the commercial potential of these projects. The best pitches will communicate the uniqueness of the participant’s work and its significance.

A brief training for judges will be provided 30 minutes prior to the start of the competition. The entire event will only require a time commitment of 3-4 hours.  During this time you will learn about Rice’s path-breaking research, connect with graduate students, and interact with Rice’s leadership, alumni, and other distinguished members of our community.

2017 Competition Schedule

Scoring Rubric

• Judges will score each contestant on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is poor and 10 is excellent.
• Contestants will be judged on message and delivery.
• Message: Contestants should be able to engage the audience, clearly communicate their research questions, explain the relevance of the problem, and describe the methodology and results in terms easily understood by a broad audience.
• Delivery: Contestants should engage the audience by projecting confidence and excitement and using appropriate gestures, vocal variation and clear diction.

Click here for more information regarding the scoring rubric and judging process.

Judging Process – Coming soon!

If you would like to become a judge please fill out our judge’s registration form here. If you would like to find out more information about the competition, please email Sherry Vanderslice at sdv1@rice.edu.