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College of Veterinary Medicine

CPB Graduate Student Wins Runner-Up Prize in Purdue “Say it in 6” Competition

A man is standing on a stage holding a large check that reads "SII6 Runner-Up, $500". The man is wearing a dark gray suit and is standing in front of a blue stage curtain.
CPB Graduate Research Assistant Shyamkumar T.S. claimed 2nd prize in Purdue’s annual Three Minute Thesis® competition on April 22. (Photo by Image Source Photography, David Mason)
May 8, 2026

Graduate Research Assistant Shyamkumar T.S. in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology was recognized as the runner-up in a unique graduate student competition at Purdue this spring.  The contest is called, “Say It In 6®” and requires graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to tell their research story with only one picture and just a six-word caption.  

Three individuals are standing in honor of an award. Two men are on the left and center, and a woman is on the right. The man in the center is holding the award.
Shyamkumar T.S. received the Say It In 6 runner-up prize from Associate Vice Provost, Dr. Kevin Gibson, and Senior Vice Provost, Dr. Haley Oliver-Jischke, at a ceremony April 23 in the Purdue Memorial Union Faculty Lounges. (Photo by Image Source Photography, David Mason)

The competition is based on SMITH magazine’s “Six-Word Memoirs” concept. Each year, Purdue’s Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS) awards first- and second-place prizes in the competition as well as the People’s Choice award.  The awards are presented at a spring ceremony where the winning entries are placed on display.  

T.S. won the $500 2nd place prize by successfully conveying his story about his research experience in a clear, concise and creative way, using a single image and the title “Shining Light on Life’s Hidden Beginnings.”

The competition is open to all graduate and professional students, non-degree students, and postdoctoral fellows at Purdue. Congratulations to Shyamkumar T.S. and his major professor, Dr. Viju Pillai, assistant professor of anatomic pathology!

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

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