Congratulations to FREEDM graduate student Shweta Meena for being a Finalist for the NC State Three Minute Thesis competition. As the title indicates, students have just three minutes to pitch their thesis research to a panel of judges and a live audience. Shweta’s research applies optimization algorithms to efficiently design the physical layout and control strategies for microgrids. (You can view her webinar recording on the topic on our YouTube channel.) “I introduced microgrids by referencing the power outages in Western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene,” she said. “And then I clarified how my research will reduce design and deployment costs and increase grid resiliency.” Shweta was one of 10 finalists selected from 54 participants. Although not a grand prize winner, she gained valuable skills condensing difficult concepts into a brief, impactful explanation. Learn more about NC State’s 3MT hosted by the Graduate School and view Shweta’s presentation here.