Grad Slam

Fourth-year Pharmacology and Toxicology Ph.D. candidate Yara Khatib won first place at the UC Davis Grad Slam Semi-Final round on Friday, April 11, 2025. Her winning presentation "The Road to Recovery: Psychedelic-like drugs for Improving Mental Health" earned her a $5,000 first prize.

Khatib's presentation and research examined how different drugs affect the structure of brain cells, an interest that began as an undergraduate.

Grad Slam is almost here! (Register to attend in-person Friday, April 11, 2025).

We asked 2024 UC Davis Grad Slam champion Sasha Neil Pimento to share her experiences throughout the competition.

Third-year Biological Systems Engineering Ph.D. student Alice Dien won first place at the UC Davis Grad Slam Semi-Final round on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. Her winning presentation “Cooling Down with the New Hot Air: The Future of Drying in Agriculture” earned her a $2,500 first prize. 

Dien's award-winning presentation examined the role of drying in food processing and examined how to make drying systems cleaner and cheaper. 

In the annual Grad Slam tournament, master’s and doctoral students are challenged to share their research stories, concisely and compellingly, in three minutes or less. The top 10 finalists will present their research to an audience and panel of external judges for a chance to win $2,500.

Graduate Studies is pleased to announce Animal Behavior Ph.D. candidate Amelia Munson won first place at the UC Davis Grad Slam final round on Thursday, April 8. Her winning presentation “Fact or Fiction: What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger” earned her a $2,500 grand prize and the opportunity to advance to the University of California Grad Slam competition on May 7.

Her engaging presentation examined how introducing environmental stressors on young fish in captivity impacted their ability to adapt to challenges and exhibit anti-predator behaviors as adults.

Samantha Werth, Ph.D. Candidate in Animal Biology and Grad Slam finalist, shares her research and inspiration for her Grad Slam presentation. Be sure to cheer on Samantha at the UC Davis Grad Slam Final Round on April 8. 

Alea Skwara, Ph.D. Candidate in Psychology and Grad Slam finalist, shares her research and inspiration for her Grad Slam presentation. Be sure to cheer on Alea at the UC Davis Grad Slam Final Round on April 8. 

Abby Nielsen, a Biomedical Enginnering Ph.D. Student and Grad Slam finalist, shares her research and inspiration for her Grad Slam presentation. Be sure to cheer on Abby at the UC Davis Grad Slam Final Round on April 8. 

Lizette Navarette, a CANDEL Ed.D. Student and Grad Slam finalist, shares her research and inspiration for her Grad Slam presentation. Be sure to cheer on Lizette at the UC Davis Grad Slam Final Round on April 8. 

Amelia Munson, a Ph.D. Candidate in Animal Behavior and Grad Slam finalist, shares her research and inspiration for her Grad Slam presentation. Be sure to cheer on Amelia at the UC Davis Grad Slam Final Round on April 8. 

Chelsea Kelland, a Ph.D. Candidate in Immunology and Grad Slam finalist, shares her research and inspiration for her Grad Slam presentation. Be sure to cheer Chelsea on at the UC Davis Grad Slam Final Round on April 8. 

Paul Kasemsap, a  horticulture and agronomy Ph.D. candidate and Grad Slam finalist, shares his passion for plant physiology and explains why his research is critical for global food security. 

Ph.D. Candidate Spencer Dahl shares his inspiration for his Grad Slam presentation and discusses how he prepared for the competition. 

Lindsay Cameron, a Ph.D. Candidate in Neuroscience and Grad Slam finalist, shares her research and inspiration for her Grad Slam presentation. Be sure to cheer Lindsay on at the UC Davis Grad Slam Final Round on April 8. 

The winner of the campus final round will have the opportunity to compete at the University of California-wide competition on May 7.  In 2019, UC Davis champion and Plant Biology Ph.D. candidate Katie Murphy went on to win the top University of California prize of $6,000. Visit the Grad Slam website to learn more about UC Davis Grad Slam.