Announcements

Oct. 23: The Countdown Is On: 90 Seconds to Wow at the 2025 Nutshell Games!

October 23: Packed with wild ideas like “poop to the rescue,” “rubber that fixes itself,” and “listening to the coldest whisper in the universe" — The 2025 Nutshell Games will be just as fun for the audience as it is for the speakers! You’re invited to experience the excitement on Thursday, October 23, at 5:30 p.m. at the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech! Free and open to the public.

    In just 90 seconds each, 30 Virginia Tech graduate students will rise to the challenge, take the stage, and share their work in ways that are engaging, clear, and meaningful. No jargon. No slides. Just brilliant ideas, told from the heart.

This year’s presenters represent research across Virginia Tech, including:

• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

• College of Engineering

• College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

• College of Natural Resources and Environment

• College of Science

• Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

    And there’s more at stake than bragging rights. Five awards will be given, including three from our unique judging panel of campus and community representatives — including two 7th graders who ensure communication is grounded and accessible. And, for the first time ever, the Nutshell Games will also give out an Audience Choice Award you’ll help decide live, and a prize for the most-watched talk on our YouTube channel in the first weeks following the event! Each winner’s home department will receive $500 for the winner's use in program-sanctioned research costs or conference participation.

    Topics like Sri Lankan Indigenous knowledge, using AI to make food tasty, detecting melanoma without a scalpel, and many more will make you lean in and leave inspired.

Nutshell Games rules

• Time: Presentations are limited to 90 seconds maximum. Timing will begin when the presenter starts the presentation through speech or movement.

• Props: No PowerPoint slides are permitted. No additional electronic media (e.g., sound and video files) are permitted. One prop is permitted (for example, a piece of lab equipment or a photograph).

• Presentations are to be spoken prose (i.e., no songs, poems, or raps).

• Presentations are to begin in front of the audience.

• The judges' decision is final.

Nutshell Games judging criteria

• Did the presenter capture and keep the audience's attention?

• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for the research?

• Did the presentation make the audience want to know more?

• Was the research communicated in language appropriate to a public audience?

• Did the presenter communicate the significance and background of the research?

• Did the speaker have good eye contact and an interesting vocal range?

• Did the presenter convey confidence in the research?

    While some may find the challenge daunting, over 250 graduate students have risen to the occasion – so many that we are entering our tenth Nutshell Games season. The reason behind the event’s popularity? It’s a one-of-a-kind chance to:

• Get inspired by a whirlwind of fascinating projects in just over an hour.

• Celebrate graduate students as they step outside their comfort zones to communicate across differences.

• Have fun while connecting with your community.

    So, grab a friend, mark your calendar, and join us for an unforgettable evening of curiosity, creativity, and connection at the 2025 Nutshell Games. Come be energized, cheer for your favorites, and see how graduate students are shaping the future of science, technology, and society…all in a nutshell.

When: Thursday, October 23, 2025 – 5:30 p.m.
Where: Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, Center for the Arts, Virginia Tech
Cost: Free and open to the public

    If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Erin Smith at erinmsmith@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

For more news about the Center for Communicating Science, see our newsletter page, our VTX (News and Stories from Virginia Tech) page, and the "Other News and Media" section of our News page.