NDSU graduate students will be in the spotlight during Three Minute Thesis, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20, in the Memorial Union. Students will vie for cash prizes as they present their research in only 180 seconds.

Jasmine Cutter, a graduate student studying range science, is set to present “Just Crumbs: How We’re Starving Native Bees in America’s Bread Basket.”

“Bees provide essential pollination services to natural and agricultural systems, but we are rapidly shrinking the amount of grassland habitat available for our native bees,” Cutter said. “Many of our remaining grasslands are used for livestock production; my research assesses how grazing by different livestock species affects flower and bee abundance in pastures.”

The first round of the competition is set for 10 a.m. to noon, with the championship round and awards presentation scheduled for 2 p.m.