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How to Successfully Defend Your Dissertation & Not Have a Nervous Breakdown

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of my (successful) dissertation defense. Even though things obviously worked out in my favor, that still doesn’t take away from the empathy I feel while I watch my colleagues go through this arduous process. I remember very little from the two months leading up to my defense. It’s pretty much a blur. By the time the day actually arrived, I was exhausted, exhilarated, and everything in between. I didn’t know what to feel. Others wanted me to be excited that I was “finished” (for those of you Ph.D.’s out there, you know that the defense is only one, albeit major, benchmark to graduation) while my committee members made seemingly joking remarks about “now the real work begins”. I think I felt my soul die a little bit. In preparation, I remember spending time with Google asking questions like, “tips for a successful dissertation defense”, “how to not cry in the middle of your defense” (lol), “dissertation defense examples”. While some of the information I found on the internet was helpful, I don’t really feel like anything I read really prepared me for that experience. I put together a list of tips based on my own experience and that of my colleagues, and hopefully you find some (or all) of this helpful!

Learn by watching

Sit in on other defenses. This is the best way to get an idea for the environment, content and vibe of a dissertation defense. I mean, let’s be honest we all would rather learn from other people’s mistakes than make our own. I sat in on a handful of defenses before I gave mine, and I really think it made a difference in my plan of attack. I also picked the brains of my more senior colleagues about things they wished they would have done differently. Sitting in is also a collegial act that helps build connection with other academics.

Practice makes perfect

True in most areas of life, and exceptionally true in the case of dissertation defenses (& any presentation, really). I practiced my defense so many times that I was rehearsing it in my dreams (no joke). Given that most defenses have a time limitation, practicing is essential, especially if you tend to go off on tangents. You shouldn’t be dependent on your presentation slides. A good presentor has a conversation with their audience where the slides simply serve as a roadmap for that conversation. I like to think about the advice I got from a mentor of mine who said, “Know your defense well enough that if the power went out you could keep going.” This is advice that I have carried with me into my professional life.

Suck it up & get feedback

I tend to be hyper self-critical. It sometimes impacts my desire for feedback even though I know how valuable constructive criticism can be. I can let the fear of someone criticizing my work inhibit my professional development and ultimately producing a higher quality product. So, how did I overcome this hurdle? I gave my defense slides to a couple people I felt completely comfortable with – close friends, close colleagues. It’s advantagous to get feedback from both academics and non-academics. A variety of lenses will help you view your presentation in many shades – some of which may be immensely helpful and bring new insight into your work.

Let off some steam

For those of you who are part of #BachelorNation, take a tip from Corinne Olympios and take a nap, I mean hey, “Michael Jordan took naps. Abraham Lincoln took naps.” My point is, do something that helps you relax and center yourself (something that is a good habit to develop, in general). When I’m super stressed out I take to one of two activities (sometimes both): cleaning & running. I think I’m drawn to both of these activities because they’re physical and upon completion give me a sense of accomplishment. Play “Shake it Off” and dance around a bit (totally done that before). Get on Instagram and browse photos under #puppy – there’s research to support that looking at cute things can have positive health impacts like adding 7.5 minutes (see here ) on to your life and lowering your blood pressure. You do you.

Confidence is key, so don’t bullshit

You need to know your defense presentation backwards and forwards (see “practice makes perfect”). Don’t try to bullshit your way through your results section. I know in my field this tends to be the most complex area. You need to know why you chose your analysis plan, how to explain it and how to make inferences from it. Think of your defense as a multi-course meal. This is the main course of your presentation, and it’s the longest course of the entire meal. If all of a sudden your meal went from salad to desert you would be wondering why, and so will your committee. Knowledge is power here.

Plan a post-defense reward

I had a bottle of champagne in my fridge for two months with a tag that said “Do not drink until after defense”. It was a solid motivator during that last week when all I kept thinking about was how once I was finished I could come home, pop that champagne, and celebrate this amazing accomplishment. Find something to reward yourself with that can help keep you motivated – a trip, that cute dress you’ve been eyeballing, a night out with friends, or in my case, a bottle of champagne. Celebrate! You deserve it, Dr.!

Here are a few tips for the day of :

Don’t have too much caffeine. You’re already going to be hyped up and pumped full of adrenaline. Have your normal morning cup of coffee/tea and then cut yourself off.
Try to schedule your defense earlier in the day (you don’t want to be waiting around all day).
Dress to impress. Research shows that if you feel confident in what you are wearing that you are more likely to perform better in a task. Rock that #bosslady/#bossman outfit.
Get there early. You do not want to be rushing. Worse. feeling. ever.
Invite some friendly faces. You’ll want to have some people you can trust in the audience that will nod enthusiastically while you’re talking about your research.

What other tips and tricks do you have to help get through stressful academic moments like this? Comment below?

WORK WITH ME

Thank you for sharing your tips and experience. I will be defending in a matter of weeks. I fully understand the varied emotions and feelings that you talked about. I am looking forward to completing this MAJOR milestone.

Wow – congratulations! This is a huge accomplishment. Going through this process, is just that – a process. You will be processing all those emotions as you continue to prep and then afterwards. Just remember that, assuming you prepared the way you’re supposed to, you are the expert on your topic the day you present. Go into it with confidence! I wish you all the best the day of!

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August 26, 2023
Aberystwyth University
Dissertation Defence/ Viva , Mental Health , Thesis and Dissertation , Thesis Tips , Wellbeing

Picture this: after countless hours of research, writing, and refining, you’re now standing on stage with your cohort, in a gown and funny hat, because … you’ve finally completed that last important milestone in your academic journey – defending your doctoral dissertation. It’s a culmination of years of dedication, determination, and sleepless nights. You’re not there yet—but you’re close. So how do you make it past this final, nerve-wracking hurdle?

In this article, we’ll deep-dive into the dissertation defense process, with tips, strategies, and straight-up information. I’ll share my expertise as a coach whose job it is to get people up on that stage.

What to expect during the dissertation defense

A dissertation defense typically consists of an oral presentation to your dissertation committee, who have already received and read the final draft of your dissertation manuscript. Other members of your cohort and institution, and outside readers or experts, might also be present in the audience.

Without fail, I see two different reactions to this news from my coaching students: either they are terrified of having their work scrutinized by their committee in public, or they are extremely laid back, knowing that they’ve already done all the hard work in the manuscript. (These later students are the ones paying attention to me).

You probably already know the general gist of what happens in a defense presentation: you present the highlights of your study, the committee ask questions, and then they vote on whether you pass or need to complete further revision. So, here are some things you might not yet know:

• The oral defense gives the committee the opportunity to ask you about any areas of your study that are still unclear or weak on paper – so that you can prove they are not unclear or weak in real life. In other words, it’s a chance to get anything that got stuck in your head (rather than making it on to paper) out and in front of your committee.

• Your chair or supervisor and committee should not be allowing you to complete the defense process unless they are already confident that the biggest issues with your work have already been resolved.

• Questions are normal – your committee are working with you because your work interests them (hopefully), so questions are as likely to indicate their excitement about your work as a problem they have spotted.

• Revisions are normal – from requests to polish the grammar to insisting you add more supporting sources or develop your recommendations more thoroughly, “pass with revisions” is a normal, common, and expected end result. To pass with no revisions is pretty rare (although I have had a few students achieve this – looking at you, YY!) – like getting 100% on a calculus test in school.

In short, your defense presentation is nothing to be scared of. You are lined up for defense because both you and your committee feel you know your stuff, and now all you need to do is share what you’ve produced and learned and engage people in discussion about it. You got this!

Preparing for Your Dissertation Defense

Still nervous? Ok, that’s fair enough. As with many things, good preparation can help you get those nerves under control, so here are some top tips to help you get ready.

Tick the Boxes

It’s essential to understand the requirements and expectations of your defense committee. Get familiar with the specific guidelines and procedures set by your institution, and make sure you meet all necessary criteria. If you’re giving them what they ask for, you are definitely off to a strong start.

Know Your Stuff

This defense is about you showing off what you know, so before you stand up in front of the crown, take a deep dive into your own research masterpiece. Thoroughly review your dissertation, scrutinizing each chapter, section, and argument. Make notes. Look for anything that might provoke questions or debate. Remember, this is your opportunity to showcase your expertise and demonstrate the depth of your knowledge.

Seek Wise Counsel

Your advisor and committee members are the best resources you could ask for about defense. They set the guidelines, and they judge whether you have done well. Reach out to them for guidance, feedback, and advice—their collective wisdom and support can be instrumental in honing your presentation. And, if they are not all that … well, remember there are others out there who can help, including coaches, mentors, and past students.

Just like any performance, practice makes perfect. Take the time to rehearse your presentation multiple times, refining your delivery and strengthening your command over the content. By doing so, you’ll build confidence and ensure a smoother delivery when the day arrives. Even more importantly, you’ll settle the key points of your study firmly in your brain, making sure you sound like the expert you are.

Anticipate the Unknown

Obviously, you can’t predict every question or comment that will come up during your defense. However, you can still prepare yourself for potential challenges. Get cozy with the research landscape in your field and the interests of your committee members. Step outside of your own perspective and view your work through a stranger’s eyes to anticipate areas of critique or alternative viewpoints. This will enable you to respond thoughtfully and demonstrate your ability to engage in scholarly discourse.

Managing Nerves and Anxiety

You know what’s coming and you know how to prepare – are you still nervous? If so, know that that is completely normal. Here’s how me and two of my students got their dissertation defense nerves under control.

An Awesome Supervisor

For my own dissertation defense (known as a viva voce in the UK), I was incredibly lucky to have a supervisor with whom I had a strong, supportive, and nurturing relationship. Although the main examination of my work was handled by the external reader, who sat across from me behind a big desk, my supervisor sat behind him and nodded and smiled encouragingly every time I said something. Words can’t describe how much that calmed me down and gave me confidence. If you are as lucky as me and have an awesome supervisor, tell your nerves they can stand down – your supervisor’s got your back!

You Can Get Used to Anything

One of my students, who graduated last year, suffered from terrible defense nerves because she was worried about holding so much complex information in her head and delivering it coherently. Her solution? She practiced endlessly, over the course of about a month.

With me as her coach playing the role of audience, or with her kids and other family members, her cohort peers, her dog, and even other academics, she presented that study until she could do so in her sleep. The point was that, by the time the actual defense day rolled around, presenting the study to people was comfortable, familiar territory. Done and dusted!

Temporary Denial

Another student, who graduated shortly after, took completely the opposite approach to managing dissertation defense nerves. This student was burnt out from a huge rush to meet an unexpectedly tight deadline for the final manuscript when her chair decided to retire at the last minute. Rather than burn herself out further, she hit send on the manuscript, paid a designer to polish the design of the presentation rough draft, and then shut down her devices and went on holiday with her family. For one week, she did not look at or talk about her research at all. Instead, she sat on the beach, ate ice cream, and scrolled Instagram (probably). Then, she returned to work (a week before the presentation), refreshed and feeling excited about her work again. The break enabled her to practice and prepare in a calm frame of mind.

Some Parting Thoughts

I won’t walk you through the other obvious stuff, like what makes a good presentation PowerPoint or how body language and appearance can improve your presentation skills—that stuff is what Google is for. You’re an expert by now at finding the information you need, so get out there and find it. However, know that if you need help getting ready for your defense, there are definitely humans around you (and some dogs) who want to help – whether that’s your chair, your family, or a coach like me. I recommend you find them now and let them tell you just how ready for this you are.

Jennifer Harrison

Mixed Methods PhDs: An Applied Guide

Are you thinking about using mixed methods (both quantitative and qualitative data) in your PhD? This article guides you through different ways of doing mixed methods PhD research, from proposal writing to collecting and analysing data. It emphasises the importance of rigor in mixed methods research and how to achieve this.

To Be or Not To Be (a Reviewer 2): Should I Review Articles as a PhD Student?

For the wheels to continue turning in research, we need reviewers. Although often a thankless endeavour (littered with Reviewer 2 jokes), acting as a gatekeeper for the integrity of your research field remains vital. As a PhD student, you may find the process of reviewing a manuscript pretty novel, but a reviewer request email may enter your inbox in the near future. This article guides you through the pros and cons of reviewing articles.

‘Stairway to Lecture’: A Roadmap to Progress from PhD to Lecturer

Landing a lecturing role after a PhD can be difficult, and rejection is commonplace. To lower the chances of rejection, it is important to focus on your career planning and gain experience as early into your PhD as possible. Therefore, if you are serious about becoming a lecturer, here are four things you can start doing now.

All views expressed are those of the individual authors and do not reflect the views of The PhD Place Ltd. See our Disclaimer

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Defending Your Dissertation: A Guide

A woman in front of a bookshelf speaking to a laptop

Written by Luke Wink-Moran | Photo by insta_photos

Dissertation defenses are daunting, and no wonder; it’s not a “dissertation discussion,” or a “dissertation dialogue.” The name alone implies that the dissertation you’ve spent the last x number of years working on is subject to attack. And if you don’t feel trepidation for semantic reasons, you might be nervous because you don’t know what to expect. Our imaginations are great at making The Unknown scarier than reality. The good news is that you’ll find in this newsletter article experts who can shed light on what dissertations defenses are really like, and what you can do to prepare for them.

The first thing you should know is that your defense has already begun. It started the minute you began working on your dissertation— maybe even in some of the classes you took beforehand that helped you formulate your ideas. This, according to Dr. Celeste Atkins, is why it’s so important to identify a good mentor early in graduate school.

“To me,” noted Dr. Atkins, who wrote her dissertation on how sociology faculty from traditionally marginalized backgrounds teach about privilege and inequality, “the most important part of the doctoral journey was finding an advisor who understood and supported what I wanted from my education and who was willing to challenge me and push me, while not delaying me. I would encourage future PhDs to really take the time to get to know the faculty before choosing an advisor and to make sure that the members of their committee work well together.”

Your advisor will be the one who helps you refine arguments and strengthen your work so that by the time it reaches your dissertation committee, it’s ready. Next comes the writing process, which many students have said was the hardest part of their PhD. I’ve included this section on the writing process because this is where you’ll create all the material you’ll present during your defense, so it’s important to navigate it successfully. The writing process is intellectually grueling, it eats time and energy, and it’s where many students find themselves paddling frantically to avoid languishing in the “All-But-Dissertation” doldrums. The writing process is also likely to encroach on other parts of your life. For instance, Dr. Cynthia Trejo wrote her dissertation on college preparation for Latin American students while caring for a twelve-year-old, two adult children, and her aging parents—in the middle of a pandemic. When I asked Dr. Trejo how she did this, she replied:

“I don’t take the privilege of education for granted. My son knew I got up at 4:00 a.m. every morning, even on weekends, even on holidays; and it’s a blessing that he’s seen that work ethic and that dedication and the end result.”

Importantly, Dr. Trejo also exercised regularly and joined several online writing groups at UArizona. She mobilized her support network— her partner, parents, and even friends from high school to help care for her son.

The challenges you face during the writing process can vary by discipline. Jessika Iwanski is an MD/PhD student who in 2022 defended her dissertation on genetic mutations in sarcomeric proteins that lead to severe, neonatal dilated cardiomyopathy. She described her writing experience as “an intricate process of balancing many things at once with a deadline (defense day) that seems to be creeping up faster and faster— finishing up experiments, drafting the dissertation, preparing your presentation, filling out all the necessary documents for your defense and also, for MD/PhD students, beginning to reintegrate into the clinical world (reviewing your clinical knowledge and skill sets)!”

But no matter what your unique challenges are, writing a dissertation can take a toll on your mental health. Almost every student I spoke with said they saw a therapist and found their sessions enormously helpful. They also looked to the people in their lives for support. Dr. Betsy Labiner, who wrote her dissertation on Interiority, Truth, and Violence in Early Modern Drama, recommended, “Keep your loved ones close! This is so hard – the dissertation lends itself to isolation, especially in the final stages. Plus, a huge number of your family and friends simply won’t understand what you’re going through. But they love you and want to help and are great for getting you out of your head and into a space where you can enjoy life even when you feel like your dissertation is a flaming heap of trash.”

While you might sometimes feel like your dissertation is a flaming heap of trash, remember: a) no it’s not, you brilliant scholar, and b) the best dissertations aren’t necessarily perfect dissertations. According to Dr. Trejo, “The best dissertation is a done dissertation.” So don’t get hung up on perfecting every detail of your work. Think of your dissertation as a long-form assignment that you need to finish in order to move onto the next stage of your career. Many students continue revising after graduation and submit their work for publication or other professional objectives.

When you do finish writing your dissertation, it’s time to schedule your defense and invite friends and family to the part of the exam that’s open to the public. When that moment comes, how do you prepare to present your work and field questions about it?

“I reread my dissertation in full in one sitting,” said Dr. Labiner. “During all my time writing it, I’d never read more than one complete chapter at a time! It was a huge confidence boost to read my work in full and realize that I had produced a compelling, engaging, original argument.”

There are many other ways to prepare: create presentation slides and practice presenting them to friends or alone; think of questions you might be asked and answer them; think about what you want to wear or where you might want to sit (if you’re presenting on Zoom) that might give you a confidence boost. Iwanksi practiced presenting with her mentor and reviewed current papers to anticipate what questions her committee might ask. If you want to really get in the zone, you can emulate Dr. Labiner and do a full dress rehearsal on Zoom the day before your defense.

But no matter what you do, you’ll still be nervous:

“I had a sense of the logistics, the timing, and so on, but I didn’t really have clear expectations outside of the structure. It was a sort of nebulous three hours in which I expected to be nauseatingly terrified,” recalled Dr. Labiner.

“I expected it to be terrifying, with lots of difficult questions and constructive criticism/comments given,” agreed Iwanski.

“I expected it to be very scary,” said Dr. Trejo.

“I expected it to be like I was on trial, and I’d have to defend myself and prove I deserved a PhD,” said Dr Atkins.

And, eventually, inexorably, it will be time to present.

“It was actually very enjoyable” said Iwanski. “It was more of a celebration of years of work put into this project—not only by me but by my mentor, colleagues, lab members and collaborators! I felt very supported by all my committee members and, rather than it being a rapid fire of questions, it was more of a scientific discussion amongst colleagues who are passionate about heart disease and muscle biology.”

“I was anxious right when I logged on to the Zoom call for it,” said Dr. Labiner, “but I was blown away by the number of family and friends that showed up to support me. I had invited a lot of people who I didn’t at all think would come, but every single person I invited was there! Having about 40 guests – many of them joining from different states and several from different countries! – made me feel so loved and celebrated that my nerves were steadied very quickly. It also helped me go into ‘teaching mode’ about my work, so it felt like getting to lead a seminar on my most favorite literature.”

“In reality, my dissertation defense was similar to presenting at an academic conference,” said Dr. Atkins. “I went over my research in a practiced and organized way, and I fielded questions from the audience.

“It was a celebration and an important benchmark for me,” said Dr. Trejo. “It was a pretty happy day. Like the punctuation at the end of your sentence: this sentence is done; this journey is done. You can start the next sentence.”

If you want to learn more about dissertations in your own discipline, don’t hesitate to reach out to graduates from your program and ask them about their experiences. If you’d like to avail yourself of some of the resources that helped students in this article while they wrote and defended their dissertations, check out these links:

The Graduate Writing Lab

https://thinktank.arizona.edu/writing-center/graduate-writing-lab

The Writing Skills Improvement Program

https://wsip.arizona.edu

Campus Health Counseling and Psych Services

https://caps.arizona.edu

https://www.scribbr.com/

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Erin Zimmerman

Plant biologist turned science writer and illustrator with a BSc in plant biology and physics from the University of Guelph and an MSc and PhD in fungal genetics and molecular systematics, respectively, from the Université de Montréal.

The Last Big Hurdle: How to Prepare for a Successful PhD Defence

It’s the moment almost everyone who completes a PhD both dreads and looks ahead to for years—the defence. It signals a major achievement, but in people’s imaginations, it can seem like the stuff of nightmares… standing frozen in front of everyone, unable to answer a tricky question posed by a committee member and feeling like you must look incompetent. The format of a doctoral defence varies from field to field, but the worst fears of the candidates remain largely the same. Though most people know it probably won’t go so badly, the open-ended-ness can certainly be intimidating- you’re up there alone in front of a panel of experts who get to ask you whatever they’d like, and you may have to deliver your answers in front of an audience of your peers. There are few experiences in academic life more geared to be stressful for the person at the centre of them.

It doesn’t have to be that bad. I spent the weeks leading up to my PhD defence in a state of near panic, but I can honestly say that once it actually got underway, I sort of enjoyed it. You’re the star of the show and get to walk your peers through the finer points of your research. It can be a really invigorating experience. So let’s try to break this down into bite-sized chunks and look at strategies and tips for making your defence an event you might actually look back fondly on.

What the committee wants

Let’s start with what the committee is actually looking for. They want to see a firm grasp of the subject matter, an understanding of the implications of the work, and the ability to see weaknesses in the methodology and possible routes to take for future work. This means creating a presentation that gives a clear, logical overview of your topic, the question you’re addressing, what you did, your results and conclusions, and where the research can go from here. Remember, your jury members are not out to get you. The questions you receive from them will generally fall under one of three headings- those that test your subject knowledge, those that clarify a confusing point, and those that arise from genuine curiosity. If your presentation does a good job of conveying your knowledge of your topic, you can expect more questions from the second and third categories, allowing you to think of the defense more as a conversation amongst experts than a test from on high.

How to prepare

Practice is obviously very important here. Once you’ve put your talk together, find a trusted friend or mentor (ideally, several of them) who knows your field to go through it with you. They can both help you to pare down unnecessary parts and point out logical leaps you may not have noticed because you’re so close to the subject matter. You also want this to be a person who will ask you tough questions and try to spot holes in your reasoning, so choose your test audience carefully. It can be tempting to spend a lot of time obsessing over your slides, trying to make them perfect, but there’s a lot of studying you’ll need to do to be ready for more tangential questions, so don’t lose too much time this way.

Even though you have lived and breathed your thesis topic for years, it’s a good idea to give your thesis a complete re-read just to make sure you really know what’s in there. It may have been months since you finished writing it, and parts may have gotten a little fuzzy since then. Make sure you know why you used the methodology that you did, be able to justify any conclusions you’ve made, and if there are mistakes, admit them openly at the defence and be able to talk about what you should have done differently—the committee isn’t looking for perfection, they’re looking for clear thinking and thorough consideration of methodology.

This is also a good time to review important topics that are peripheral to your work; this will allow you to answer some of the questions designed to test the limits of your broader knowledge of your field. One of the best pieces of defence preparation advice I’ve ever heard is to find out what each of your committee members’ professional interests are, and do a bit of reading on those topics. There’s a very good chance that they’ll ask you something that’s related to their own work, because that’s familiar ground to them, and you may be able to anticipate these questions this way.

Finally, though it’s less and less of a problem as technology improves, you’ll want to make very sure ahead of time that all your presentation gear works and connects properly to the display equipment in the room where your defence will be. No one wants to be running around at the last moment looking for a dongle they didn’t think they needed, or have their laptop’s battery run out partway through the defence. Check that your slides look the same way on the projection screen as they do on your computer- not cut off or too dark. It also doesn’t hurt just to spend time in the room in which you’ll be presenting, to get a feel for the place and see where everything will be positioned.

Common questions and ideas to think about

What makes your project original, and how does it answer a previously unanswered question? What have you contributed to the body of knowledge on this topic?
Why was this question important to ask? Why do we care about what your findings reveal? (Hint: “Just for the sake of knowing” is not an acceptable answer here.)
Did the focus of your project change over its course? If so, explain how and why.

Methodology

Why did you choose your methodological approach (including your statistical analyses)? Why is it superior to or more appropriate than all other methodologies?
Talk about the difficulties you experienced with your methodology and how you addressed them.
What are the limitations of your study design/methodology?
Explain how your data represent an appropriate source of measurement to address your question.
Is the amount of data gathered sufficient to address your question? Why or why not?
If you could do it again with unlimited time and funds, how would your methodology change?

Conclusions

What would you say is the most important “take-away” message of your work?
Does your work have wider implications for other disciplines in your field?
How do your conclusions support or contradict the existing literature?
Are there alternative ways your data could have been interpreted?
Speculate about what broader implications your research could have, but which aren’t addressed by your data, or were outside the scope of your project.
If you were to continue on with this area of research, what would you do next to further your results? Is there a closely related “spin-off” question that needs to be answered?
Propose an experimental design to test this related question. What results might you expect to see?
Where do you think this field of study is headed in the next five to ten years?

Tips, tricks, and stress management

Practice the first few minutes of your talk until you can do it on ‘autopilot’; this will give you a bit of time to relax into your presentation, get your thoughts in order, and begin talking more confidently.
If your defence is open to the public, ask a few supportive friends or colleagues to sit where you can easily make eye contact while you’re talking. Seeing a friendly, smiling face can be encouraging and help you to relax.
Don’t forget to review the newest literature in the weeks leading up to your defence—one or more important papers may have been published in your field since you wrote your thesis, and you’ll want to know about them.
Have a hard copy of your thesis on hand during the defence. It’s much faster to flip to a physical page when asked about a particular section of the text. If this really isn’t for you, be sure you have a quick way to move through pages on your computer.
Eat and drink the same things you normally would on the day of your defence. Your stomach may be extra sensitive in response to the stress, and you don’t want to surprise it with anything new. And go easy on the caffeine… jittery-ness will not help you to manage your stress!
Try to let your enthusiasm for your subject matter show; your audience will feel more positive about your talk if they can see that you really find the work fascinating.
It’s fine to take a moment to think about your answer before responding. The silence isn’t as long or as deafening as you think it is. And if you don’t know, just admit you don’t know—it’s okay to not know everything.
Dress well, but comfortably, and try to project confidence. If you can speak to your committee as a group of your peers, it will reflect well on your growth as a scientist in training- and demonstrate you are someone who deserves to be awarded their doctorate.
Don’t forget to publicly thank your advisor, your committee, and any other key people involved with your project for their time commitment and investment in your career.
When planning post-defence festivities, be aware that you may be more tired, both mentally and emotionally, than you expected. Don’t ask too much of yourself in the hours following the event.

A bit of encouragement

Above all, there are two things you need to remember while preparing for your defence. First, your advisor and committee would not have allowed you to proceed to this point if they didn’t think you were ready. They want to see you succeed and, altruism aside, it would reflect badly on them as well if you were to fail. Trust that they’ve made the right decision. Second, after years of delving into your little corner of the scientific world, no one knows your thesis topic better than you do—not even your committee. Marshall your facts and feel confident in knowing that on this topic, you’re the world expert.

What is your best advice to prep for a PhD defence?

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13 Tips to Prepare for Your PhD Dissertation Defense

How well do you know your project? Years of experiments, analysis of results, and tons of literature study, leads you to how well you know your research study. And, PhD dissertation defense is a finale to your PhD years. Often, researchers question how to excel at their thesis defense and spend countless hours on it. Days, weeks, months, and probably years of practice to complete your doctorate, needs to surpass the dissertation defense hurdle.

In this article, we will discuss details of how to excel at PhD dissertation defense and list down some interesting tips to prepare for your thesis defense.

Table of Contents

What Is Dissertation Defense?

Dissertation defense or Thesis defense is an opportunity to defend your research study amidst the academic professionals who will evaluate of your academic work. While a thesis defense can sometimes be like a cross-examination session, but in reality you need not fear the thesis defense process and be well prepared.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesHaytonPhDacademy

What are the expectations of committee members.

Choosing the dissertation committee is one of the most important decision for a research student. However, putting your dissertation committee becomes easier once you understand the expectations of committee members.

The basic function of your dissertation committee is to guide you through the process of proposing, writing, and revising your dissertation. Moreover, the committee members serve as mentors, giving constructive feedback on your writing and research, also guiding your revision efforts.

The dissertation committee is usually formed once the academic coursework is completed. Furthermore, by the time you begin your dissertation research, you get acquainted to the faculty members who will serve on your dissertation committee. Ultimately, who serves on your dissertation committee depends upon you.

Some universities allow an outside expert (a former professor or academic mentor) to serve on your committee. It is advisable to choose a faculty member who knows you and your research work.

How to Choose a Dissertation Committee Member?

Avoid popular and eminent faculty member
Choose the one you know very well and can approach whenever you need them
A faculty member whom you can learn from is apt.
Members of the committee can be your future mentors, co-authors, and research collaborators. Choose them keeping your future in mind.

How to Prepare for Dissertation Defense?

1. Start Your Preparations Early

Thesis defense is not a 3 or 6 months’ exercise. Don’t wait until you have completed all your research objectives. Start your preparation well in advance, and make sure you know all the intricacies of your thesis and reasons to all the research experiments you conducted.

2. Attend Presentations by Other Candidates

Look out for open dissertation presentations at your university. In fact, you can attend open dissertation presentations at other universities too. Firstly, this will help you realize how thesis defense is not a scary process. Secondly, you will get the tricks and hacks on how other researchers are defending their thesis. Finally, you will understand why dissertation defense is necessary for the university, as well as the scientific community.

3. Take Enough Time to Prepare the Slides

Dissertation defense process harder than submitting your thesis well before the deadline. Ideally, you could start preparing the slides after finalizing your thesis. Spend more time in preparing the slides. Make sure you got the right data on the slides and rephrase your inferences, to create a logical flow to your presentation.

4. Structure the Presentation

Do not be haphazard in designing your presentation. Take time to create a good structured presentation. Furthermore, create high-quality slides which impresses the committee members. Make slides that hold your audience’s attention. Keep the presentation thorough and accurate, and use smart art to create better slides.

5. Practice Breathing Techniques

Watch a few TED talk videos and you will notice that speakers and orators are very fluent at their speech. In fact, you will not notice them taking a breath or falling short of breath. The only reason behind such effortless oratory skill is practice — practice in breathing technique.

Moreover, every speaker knows how to control their breath. Long and steady breaths are crucial. Pay attention to your breathing and slow it down. All you need I some practice prior to this moment.

6. Create an Impactful Introduction

The audience expects a lot from you. So your opening statement should enthrall the audience. Furthermore, your thesis should create an impact on the members; they should be thrilled by your thesis and the way you expose it.

The introduction answers most important questions, and most important of all “Is this presentation worth the time?” Therefore, it is important to make a good first impression , because the first few minutes sets the tone for your entire presentation.

7. Maintain Your Own List of Questions

While preparing for the presentation, make a note of all the questions that you ask yourself. Try to approach all the questions from a reader’s point of view. You could pretend like you do not know the topic and think of questions that could help you know the topic much better.

The list of questions will prepare you for the questions the members may pose while trying to understand your research. Attending other candidates’ open discussion will also help you assume the dissertation defense questions.

8. Practice Speech and Body Language

After successfully preparing your slides and practicing, you could start focusing on how you look while presenting your thesis. This exercise is not for your appearance but to know your body language and relax if need be.

Pay attention to your body language. Stand with your back straight, but relax your shoulders. The correct posture will give you the feel of self-confidence. So, observe yourself in the mirror and pay attention to movements you make.

9. Give Mock Presentation

Giving a trial defense in advance is a good practice. The most important factor for the mock defense is its similarity to your real defense, so that you get the experience that prepares for the actual defense.

10. Learn How to Handle Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. However, it is important to carry on. Do not let the mistakes affect your thesis defense. Take a deep breath and move on to the next point.

11. Do Not Run Through the Presentation

If you are nervous, you would want to end the presentation as soon as possible. However, this situation will give rise to anxiety and you will speak too fast, skipping the essential details. Eventually, creating a fiasco of your dissertation defense .

12. Get Plenty of Rest

Out of the dissertation defense preparation points, this one is extremely important. Obviously, sleeping a day before your big event is hard, but you have to focus and go to bed early, with the clear intentions of getting the rest you deserve.

13. Visualize Yourself Defending Your Thesis

This simple exercise creates an immense impact on your self-confidence. All you have to do is visualize yourself giving a successful presentation each evening before going to sleep. Everyday till the day of your thesis defense, see yourself standing in front of the audience and going from one point to another.

This exercise takes a lot of commitment and persistence, but the results in the end are worth it. Visualization makes you see yourself doing the scary thing of defending your thesis.

If you have taken all these points into consideration, you are ready for your big day. You have worked relentlessly for your PhD degree , and you will definitely give your best in this final step.

Have you completed your thesis defense? How did you prepare for it and how was your experience throughout your dissertation defense ? Do write to us or comment below.

The tips are very useful.I will recomend it to our students.

Excellent. As a therapist trying to help a parent of a candidate, I am very impressed and thankful your concise, clear, action-oriented article. Thank you.

Thanks for your sharing. It is so good. I can learn a lot from your ideas. Hope that in my dissertation defense next time I can pass

The tips are effective. Will definitely apply them in my dissertation.

My dissertation defense is coming up in less than two weeks from now, I find this tips quite instructive, I’ll definitely apply them. Thank you so much.

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PhD Defence Process: A Comprehensive Guide

Embarking on the journey toward a PhD is an intellectual odyssey marked by tireless research, countless hours of contemplation, and a fervent commitment to contributing to the body of knowledge in one’s field. As the culmination of this formidable journey, the PhD defence stands as the final frontier, the proverbial bridge between student and scholar.

In this comprehensive guide, we unravel the intricacies of the PhD defence—a momentous occasion that is both a celebration of scholarly achievement and a rigorous evaluation of academic prowess. Join us as we explore the nuances of the defence process, addressing questions about its duration, contemplating the possibility of failure, and delving into the subtle distinctions of language that surround it.

Beyond the formalities, we aim to shed light on the significance of this rite of passage, dispelling misconceptions about its nature. Moreover, we’ll consider the impact of one’s attire on this critical day and share personal experiences and practical tips from those who have successfully navigated the defence journey.

Whether you are on the precipice of your own defence or are simply curious about the process, this guide seeks to demystify the PhD defence, providing a roadmap for success and a nuanced understanding of the pivotal event that marks the transition from student to scholar.

Introduction

A. definition and purpose:, b. overview of the oral examination:, a. general duration of a typical defense, b. factors influencing the duration:, c. preparation and flexibility:, a. preparation and thorough understanding of the research:, b. handling questions effectively:, c. confidence and composure during the presentation:, d. posture of continuous improvement:, a. exploring the possibility of failure:, b. common reasons for failure:, c. steps to mitigate the risk of failure:, d. post-failure resilience:, a. addressing the language variation:, b. conforming to regional preferences:, c. consistency in usage:, d. flexibility and adaptability:, e. navigating language in a globalized academic landscape:, a. debunking myths around the formality of the defense:, b. significance in validating research contributions:, c. post-defense impact:, a. appropriate attire for different settings:, b. professionalism and the impact of appearance:, c. practical tips for dressing success:, b. practical tips for a successful defense:, c. post-defense reflections:, career options after phd.

Embarking on the doctoral journey is a formidable undertaking, where aspiring scholars immerse themselves in the pursuit of knowledge, contributing new insights to their respective fields. At the pinnacle of this academic odyssey lies the PhD defence—a culmination that transcends the boundaries of a mere formality, symbolizing the transformation from a student of a discipline to a recognized contributor to the academic tapestry.

The PhD defence, also known as the viva voce or oral examination, is a pivotal moment in the life of a doctoral candidate.

PhD defence is not merely a ritualistic ceremony; rather, it serves as a platform for scholars to present, defend, and elucidate the findings and implications of their research. The defence is the crucible where ideas are tested, hypotheses scrutinized, and the depth of scholarly understanding is laid bare.

The importance of the PhD defence reverberates throughout the academic landscape. It is not just a capstone event; it is the juncture where academic rigour meets real-world application. The defence is the litmus test of a researcher’s ability to articulate, defend, and contextualize their work—an evaluation that extends beyond the pages of a dissertation.

Beyond its evaluative nature, the defence serves as a rite of passage, validating the years of dedication, perseverance, and intellectual rigour invested in the research endeavour. Success in the defence is a testament to the candidate’s mastery of their subject matter and the originality and impact of their contributions to the academic community.

Furthermore, a successful defence paves the way for future contributions, positioning the scholar as a recognized authority in their field. The defence is not just an endpoint; it is a launchpad, propelling researchers into the next phase of their academic journey as they continue to shape and redefine the boundaries of knowledge.

In essence, the PhD defence is more than a ceremonial checkpoint—it is a transformative experience that validates the intellectual journey, underscores the significance of scholarly contributions, and sets the stage for a continued legacy of academic excellence. As we navigate the intricacies of this process, we invite you to explore the multifaceted dimensions that make the PhD defence an indispensable chapter in the narrative of academic achievement.

What is a PhD Defence?

At its core, a PhD defence is a rigorous and comprehensive examination that marks the culmination of a doctoral candidate’s research journey. It is an essential component of the doctoral process in which the candidate is required to defend their dissertation before a committee of experts in the field. The defence serves multiple purposes, acting as both a showcase of the candidate’s work and an evaluative measure of their understanding, critical thinking, and contributions to the academic domain.

The primary goals of a PhD defence include:

Presentation of Research: The candidate presents the key findings, methodology, and significance of their research.
Demonstration of Mastery: The defence assesses the candidate’s depth of understanding, mastery of the subject matter, and ability to engage in scholarly discourse.
Critical Examination: Committee members rigorously question the candidate, challenging assumptions, testing methodologies, and probing the boundaries of the research.
Validation of Originality: The defence validates the originality and contribution of the candidate’s work to the existing body of knowledge.

The PhD defence often takes the form of an oral examination, commonly referred to as the viva voce. This oral component adds a dynamic and interactive dimension to the evaluation process. Key elements of the oral examination include:

Presentation: The candidate typically begins with a formal presentation, summarizing the dissertation’s main components, methodology, and findings. This presentation is an opportunity to showcase the significance and novelty of the research.
Questioning and Discussion: Following the presentation, the candidate engages in a thorough questioning session with the examination committee. Committee members explore various aspects of the research, challenging the candidates to articulate their rationale, defend their conclusions, and respond to critiques.
Defence of Methodology: The candidate is often required to defend the chosen research methodology, demonstrating its appropriateness, rigour, and contribution to the field.
Evaluation of Contributions: Committee members assess the originality and impact of the candidate’s contributions to the academic discipline, seeking to understand how the research advances existing knowledge.

The oral examination is not a mere formality; it is a dynamic exchange that tests the candidate’s intellectual acumen, research skills, and capacity to contribute meaningfully to the scholarly community.

In essence, the PhD defence is a comprehensive and interactive evaluation that encapsulates the essence of a candidate’s research journey, demanding a synthesis of knowledge, clarity of expression, and the ability to navigate the complexities of academic inquiry. As we delve into the specifics of the defence process, we will unravel the layers of preparation and skill required to navigate this transformative academic milestone.

How Long is a PhD Defence?

The duration of a PhD defence can vary widely, but it typically ranges from two to three hours. This time frame encompasses the candidate’s presentation of their research, questioning and discussions with the examination committee, and any additional deliberations or decisions by the committee. However, it’s essential to note that this is a general guideline, and actual defence durations may vary based on numerous factors.

Sciences and Engineering: Defenses in these fields might lean towards the shorter end of the spectrum, often around two hours. The focus is often on the methodology, results, and technical aspects.
Humanities and Social Sciences: Given the theoretical and interpretive nature of research in these fields, defences might extend closer to three hours or more. Discussions may delve into philosophical underpinnings and nuanced interpretations.
Simple vs. Complex Studies: The complexity of the research itself plays a role. Elaborate experiments, extensive datasets, or intricate theoretical frameworks may necessitate a more extended defence.
Number of Committee Members: A larger committee or one with diverse expertise may lead to more extensive discussions and varied perspectives, potentially elongating the defence.
Committee Engagement: The level of engagement and probing by committee members can influence the overall duration. In-depth discussions or debates may extend the defence time.
Cultural Norms: In some countries, the oral defence might be more ceremonial, with less emphasis on intense questioning. In others, a rigorous and extended defence might be the norm.
Evaluation Practices: Different academic systems have varying evaluation criteria, which can impact the duration of the defence.
Institutional Guidelines: Some institutions may have specific guidelines on defence durations, influencing the overall time allotted for the process.

Candidates should be well-prepared for a defence of any duration. Adequate preparation not only involves a concise presentation of the research but also anticipates potential questions and engages in thoughtful discussions. Additionally, candidates should be flexible and responsive to the dynamics of the defense, adapting to the pace set by the committee.

Success Factors in a PhD Defence

Successful defence begins with a deep and comprehensive understanding of the research. Candidates should be well-versed in every aspect of their study, from the theoretical framework to the methodology and findings.
Thorough preparation involves anticipating potential questions from the examination committee. Candidates should consider the strengths and limitations of their research and be ready to address queries related to methodology, data analysis, and theoretical underpinnings.
Conducting mock defences with peers or mentors can be invaluable. It helps refine the presentation, exposes potential areas of weakness, and provides an opportunity to practice responding to challenging questions.
Actively listen to questions without interruption. Understanding the nuances of each question is crucial for providing precise and relevant responses.
Responses should be clear, concise, and directly address the question. Avoid unnecessary jargon, and strive to convey complex concepts in a manner that is accessible to the entire committee.
It’s acceptable not to have all the answers. If faced with a question that stumps you, acknowledge it honestly. Expressing a willingness to explore the topic further demonstrates intellectual humility.
Use questions as opportunities to reinforce key messages from the research. Skillfully link responses back to the core contributions of the study, emphasizing its significance.
Rehearse the presentation multiple times to build familiarity with the material. This enhances confidence, reduces nervousness, and ensures a smooth and engaging delivery.
Maintain confident and open body language. Stand tall, make eye contact, and use gestures judiciously. A composed demeanour contributes to a positive impression.
Acknowledge and manage nervousness. It’s natural to feel some anxiety, but channelling that energy into enthusiasm for presenting your research can turn nervousness into a positive force.
Engage with the committee through a dynamic and interactive presentation. Invite questions during the presentation to create a more conversational atmosphere.
Utilize visual aids effectively. Slides or other visual elements should complement the spoken presentation, reinforcing key points without overwhelming the audience.
View the defence not only as an evaluation but also as an opportunity for continuous improvement. Feedback received during the defence can inform future research endeavours and scholarly pursuits.

In essence, success in a PhD defence hinges on meticulous preparation, adept handling of questions, and projecting confidence and composure during the presentation. A well-prepared and resilient candidate is better positioned to navigate the challenges of the defence, transforming it from a moment of evaluation into an affirmation of scholarly achievement.

Failure in PhD Defence

While the prospect of failing a PhD defence is relatively rare, it’s essential for candidates to acknowledge that the possibility exists. Understanding this reality can motivate diligent preparation and a proactive approach to mitigate potential risks.
Failure, if it occurs, should be seen as a learning opportunity rather than a definitive endpoint. It may highlight areas for improvement and offer insights into refining the research and presentation.
Lack of thorough preparation, including a weak grasp of the research content, inadequate rehearsal, and failure to anticipate potential questions, can contribute to failure.
Inability to effectively defend the chosen research methodology, including justifying its appropriateness and demonstrating its rigour, can be a critical factor.
Failing to clearly articulate the original contributions of the research and its significance to the field may lead to a negative assessment.
Responding defensively to questions, exhibiting a lack of openness to critique, or being unwilling to acknowledge limitations can impact the overall impression.
Inability to address committee concerns or incorporate constructive feedback received during the defense may contribute to a negative outcome.
Comprehensive preparation is the cornerstone of success. Candidates should dedicate ample time to understanding every facet of their research, conducting mock defences, and seeking feedback.
Identify potential weaknesses in the research and address them proactively. Being aware of limitations and articulating plans for addressing them in future work demonstrates foresight.
Engage with mentors, peers, or advisors before the defence. Solicit constructive feedback on both the content and delivery of the presentation to refine and strengthen the defence.
Develop strategies to manage stress and nervousness. Techniques such as mindfulness, deep breathing, or visualization can be effective in maintaining composure during the defence.
Conduct a pre-defense review of all materials, ensuring that the presentation aligns with the dissertation and that visual aids are clear and supportive.
Approach the defence with an open and reflective attitude. Embrace critique as an opportunity for improvement rather than as a personal affront.
Clarify expectations with the examination committee beforehand. Understanding the committee’s focus areas and preferences can guide preparation efforts.
In the event of failure, candidates should approach the situation with resilience. Seek feedback from the committee, understand the reasons for the outcome, and use the experience as a springboard for improvement.

In summary, while the prospect of failing a PhD defence is uncommon, acknowledging its possibility and taking proactive steps to mitigate risks are crucial elements of a well-rounded defence strategy. By addressing common failure factors through thorough preparation, openness to critique, and a resilient attitude, candidates can increase their chances of a successful defence outcome.

PhD Defense or Defence?

The choice between “defense” and “defence” is primarily a matter of British English versus American English spelling conventions. “Defense” is the preferred spelling in American English, while “defence” is the British English spelling.
In the global academic community, both spellings are generally understood and accepted. However, the choice of spelling may be influenced by the academic institution’s language conventions or the preferences of individual scholars.
Academic institutions may have specific guidelines regarding language conventions, and candidates are often expected to adhere to the institution’s preferred spelling.
Candidates may also consider the preferences of their advisors or committee members. If there is a consistent spelling convention used within the academic department, it is advisable to align with those preferences.
Consideration should be given to the spelling conventions of scholarly journals in the candidate’s field. If intending to publish research stemming from the dissertation, aligning with the conventions of target journals is prudent.
If the defense presentation or dissertation will be shared with an international audience, using a more universally recognized spelling (such as “defense”) may be preferred to ensure clarity and accessibility.
Regardless of the chosen spelling, it’s crucial to maintain consistency throughout the document. Mixing spellings can distract from the content and may be perceived as an oversight.
In oral presentations and written correspondence related to the defence, including emails, it’s advisable to maintain consistency with the chosen spelling to present a professional and polished image.
Recognizing that language conventions can vary, candidates should approach the choice of spelling with flexibility. Being adaptable to the preferences of the academic context and demonstrating an awareness of regional variations reflects a nuanced understanding of language usage.
With the increasing globalization of academia, an awareness of language variations becomes essential. Scholars often collaborate across borders, and an inclusive approach to language conventions contributes to effective communication and collaboration.

In summary, the choice between “PhD defense” and “PhD defence” boils down to regional language conventions and institutional preferences. Maintaining consistency, being mindful of the target audience, and adapting to the expectations of the academic community contribute to a polished and professional presentation, whether in written documents or oral defences.

Is PhD Defense a Formality?

While the PhD defence is a structured and ritualistic event, it is far from being a mere formality. It is a critical and substantive part of the doctoral journey, designed to rigorously evaluate the candidate’s research contributions, understanding of the field, and ability to engage in scholarly discourse.
The defence is not a checkbox to be marked but rather a dynamic process where the candidate’s research is evaluated for its scholarly merit. The committee scrutinizes the originality, significance, and methodology of the research, aiming to ensure it meets the standards of advanced academic work.
Far from a passive or purely ceremonial event, the defence involves active engagement between the candidate and the examination committee. Questions, discussions, and debates are integral components that enrich the scholarly exchange during the defence.
The defence serves as a platform for the candidate to demonstrate the originality of their research. Committee members assess the novelty of the contributions, ensuring that the work adds value to the existing body of knowledge.
Beyond the content, the defence evaluates the methodological rigour of the research. Committee members assess whether the chosen methodology is appropriate, well-executed, and contributes to the validity of the findings.
Successful completion of the defence affirms the candidate’s ability to contribute meaningfully to the academic discourse in their field. It is an endorsement of the candidate’s position as a knowledgeable and respected scholar.
The defence process acts as a quality assurance mechanism in academia. It ensures that individuals awarded a doctoral degree have undergone a thorough and rigorous evaluation, upholding the standards of excellence in research and scholarly inquiry.
Institutions have specific criteria and standards for awarding a PhD. The defence process aligns with these institutional and academic standards, providing a consistent and transparent mechanism for evaluating candidates.
Successful completion of the defence is a pivotal moment that marks the transition from a doctoral candidate to a recognized scholar. It opens doors to further contributions, collaborations, and opportunities within the academic community.
Research presented during the defence often forms the basis for future publications. The validation received in the defence enhances the credibility of the research, facilitating its dissemination and impact within the academic community.
Beyond the academic realm, a successfully defended PhD is a key credential for professional advancement. It enhances one’s standing in the broader professional landscape, opening doors to research positions, teaching opportunities, and leadership roles.

In essence, the PhD defence is a rigorous and meaningful process that goes beyond formalities, playing a crucial role in affirming the academic merit of a candidate’s research and marking the culmination of their journey toward scholarly recognition.

Dressing for Success: PhD Defense Outfit

For Men: A well-fitted suit in neutral colours (black, navy, grey), a collared dress shirt, a tie, and formal dress shoes.
For Women: A tailored suit, a blouse or button-down shirt, and closed-toe dress shoes.
Dress codes can vary based on cultural expectations. It’s advisable to be aware of any cultural nuances within the academic institution and to adapt attire accordingly.
With the rise of virtual defenses, considerations for attire remain relevant. Even in online settings, dressing professionally contributes to a polished and serious demeanor. Virtual attire can mirror what one would wear in-person, focusing on the upper body visible on camera.
The attire chosen for a PhD defense contributes to the first impression that a candidate makes on the examination committee. A professional and polished appearance sets a positive tone for the defense.
Dressing appropriately reflects respect for the gravity of the occasion. It acknowledges the significance of the defense as a formal evaluation of one’s scholarly contributions.
Wearing professional attire can contribute to a boost in confidence. When individuals feel well-dressed and put-together, it can positively impact their mindset and overall presentation.
The PhD defense is a serious academic event, and dressing professionally fosters an atmosphere of seriousness and commitment to the scholarly process. It aligns with the respect one accords to academic traditions.
Institutional norms may influence dress expectations. Some academic institutions may have specific guidelines regarding attire for formal events, and candidates should be aware of and adhere to these norms.
While adhering to the formality expected in academic settings, individuals can also express their personal style within the bounds of professionalism. It’s about finding a balance between institutional expectations and personal comfort.
Select and prepare the outfit well in advance to avoid last-minute stress. Ensure that the attire is clean, well-ironed, and in good condition.
Accessories such as ties, scarves, or jewelry should complement the outfit. However, it’s advisable to keep accessories subtle to maintain a professional appearance.
While dressing professionally, prioritize comfort. PhD defenses can be mentally demanding, and comfortable attire can contribute to a more confident and composed demeanor.
Pay attention to grooming, including personal hygiene and haircare. A well-groomed appearance contributes to an overall polished look.
Start preparation well in advance of the defense date. Know your research inside out, anticipate potential questions, and be ready to discuss the nuances of your methodology, findings, and contributions.
Conduct mock defenses with peers, mentors, or colleagues. Mock defenses provide an opportunity to receive constructive feedback, practice responses to potential questions, and refine your presentation.
Strike a balance between confidence and humility. Confidence in presenting your research is essential, but being open to acknowledging limitations and areas for improvement demonstrates intellectual honesty.
Actively engage with the examination committee during the defense. Listen carefully to questions, respond thoughtfully, and view the defense as a scholarly exchange rather than a mere formality.
Understand the expertise and backgrounds of the committee members. Tailor your presentation and responses to align with the interests and expectations of your specific audience.
Practice time management during your presentation. Ensure that you allocate sufficient time to cover key aspects of your research, leaving ample time for questions and discussions.
It’s normal to feel nervous, but practicing mindfulness and staying calm under pressure is crucial. Take deep breaths, maintain eye contact, and focus on delivering a clear and composed presentation.
Have a plan for post-defense activities. Whether it’s revisions to the dissertation, publications, or future research endeavors, having a roadmap for what comes next demonstrates foresight and commitment to ongoing scholarly contributions.
After successfully defending, individuals often emphasize the importance of taking time to reflect on the entire doctoral journey. Acknowledge personal and academic growth, celebrate achievements, and use the experience to inform future scholarly pursuits.

In summary, learning from the experiences of others who have successfully defended offers a wealth of practical wisdom. These insights, combined with thoughtful preparation and a proactive approach, contribute to a successful and fulfilling defense experience.

You have plenty of career options after completing a PhD. For more details, visit my blog posts:

7 Essential Steps for Building a Robust Research Portfolio

Exciting Career Opportunities for PhD Researchers and Research Scholars

Freelance Writing or Editing Opportunities for Researchers A Comprehensive Guide

Research Consultancy: An Alternate Career for Researchers

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The journey from a curious researcher to a recognized scholar culminates in the PhD defence—an intellectual odyssey marked by dedication, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge. As we navigate the intricacies of this pivotal event, it becomes evident that the PhD defence is far more than a ceremonial rite; it is a substantive evaluation that validates the contributions of a researcher to the academic landscape.

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Defending a PhD thesis like a boss!- an in-depth Guide

A thesis defense is a two-way process of PhD evaluation, a session during which experts ask questions related to the PhD dissertation for awarding a PhD degree.

Defending a PhD thesis or dissertation is the last station of the PhD. The process of a doctorate is different! Even though prospective candidates don’t need to appear in the written examination, the thesis defense is a must!

It’s a process occurring behind closed doors or openly (sometimes!), under the supervision of subject experts or all, to award someone a prestigious doctor of philosophy degree .

PhD- the Philosophia doctor is a path full of complications and problems. Starting from admission to writing a thesis or viva, a candidate has to achieve every milestone to move forward towards a PhD.

Broadly, a good graduation or master’s score, completion of the entrance exam, course work, PhD thesis, publication in a peer-reviewed journal, PhD presentation and well-completed PhD research are criteria to appear in the PhD defense.

If a candidate fails to achieve any of the requirements given above, he or she can’t go-ahead. The PhD is all about research, passion, knowledge on one side whilst depression, lack of confidence, loneliness, frustration on the other side, nonetheless, it is a fun journey.

Defending a PhD thesis at terminal can relax a doctoral student, although should not be taken for granted.

The present piece of content is all about defending your PhD thesis, what is it and how to appear. I will also give you some tips that help you to successfully complete it.

What is a thesis defense?

The thesis defense is the terminal process of discussing ‘research’ to award the PhD degree. It is also referred to as PhD viva too; however, it is more a discussion session than a viva.

A prospective student has to appear in the thesis defense along with the PhD thesis, a presentation and all other PhD related documentation. A student also has to carry all the materials and proofs that can be used to convenience a supervisor or expert to award the doctorate.

The entire process is verbal. Two external subject experts, a guide, and a university VC conducts the process, note that other students can also appear in the PhD defense process too as a guest.

Universities usually conduct close viva sessions to avoid ‘personal bullying’ during the thesis defense.

During the process, questions are based on the thesis content, topic and subject of the prospective student’s research. The objective of conducting the defense session is to check the knowledge of a student, research aptitude and how he or he had done their research.

It is a kind of evaluation process in which experts ask questions and point out gaps in research presented by a student.

Read more: 10 Genuine Suggestions to Design a PhD Title .

What is the process of thesis defense?

The process of PhD thesis defense starts with the general introduction of experts followed by the presentation session. A candidate has to present their thesis in a PowerPoint presentation, keynotes or google slides. 10 to 20 minutes are alloted to present the work in 15 to 25 slides.

Soon after, experts ask questions related to research. Several of them are,

What is the purpose of the present research?

Why is the present topic chosen?

What is the study population and why only those are selecting

What are the outcomes of the present work?

Why are the results or outcomes important?

What are the societal benefits of the present work?

How or what the present research contributes to the present knowledge?

These are the common questions asked to know the quality, quantity and strength of the research one has conducted.

The process is of two types; close thesis defense viva and open thesis defense viva.

In the close thesis defense viva, only a subject expert and a PhD supervisor conduct the entire process of the thesis defense, no one is allowed to interfere in it. A student can defend their thesis confidently, on the positive side, however, sometimes the integrity of the session doesn’t maintain due to lack of a monitoring body.

During the open thesis defense, anyone can appear in the viva session including students of master’s and graduation. Also, anyone can ask questions related to the topic.

Open thesis defense sometimes makes things harder for the prospective student. Which type of viva or defense system you have to face will depend on the university. The process and type of thesis defense vary from country to country and university to university.

2 to 5 examiners or external evaluators are invited for a PhD thesis defense session by the university. The criteria to select examiners for the same are; they should be not from the university, they are experts in a related subject, they are working outside the university.

University allows a PhD supervisor to the defense session but they can’t participate in the discussion. Examiner examines the thesis and will randomly ask queries to the presenter.

Who conducts a thesis defense?

The thesis defense of master’s, M Phil or PhD is held by the university under the vigilance of the supervisor for the student appearing in the degree.

A PhD supervisor invites two or three other experts of the subject to conduct the session, university presentative or vice-chancellor closely monitors the entire process, if present.

Related article: How much does a PhD Degree Cost in the USA, UK and India?

How long a thesis defense occurs?

Per student 10 to 20 minutes are allotted to defend the thesis, however, it may vary, depending on how long a verbal questioning session happens. If it is interesting, it may take up to 2 hours.

Sometimes, experts wind things in 30 minutes too; that depends on how neatly you have written your thesis and how beautifully you have given your presentation. Still, a few questions are common and asked in every thesis defense.

Usually 20 minutes to 2 hours it takes to complete the thesis defense.

What happens after the completion of the thesis defense?

Defending a thesis isn’t like giving a written exam, which means the results are not like ‘pass’ or ‘fail’. The results are like how excellently one has done their doctorate- research, thesis and presentation.

There are three possibilities after completing the PhD viva or thesis defense.

First, you have successfully completed it.
Second, you have failed in defending the thesis- revision required.
Third, there are chances of improvement- minor revision required.

When you present your thesis excellently, write the dissertation in a proper way and accurately- like a professional writer, proofread it correctly, complete all the objectives mentioned in the thesis, done research in a proper way, you probably come in the first case.

A PhD degree will be awarded to you soon!

If a thesis is not written in a good way, not all the objectives are completed, not published a paper, or fails to write a thesis completely or it is partially incomplete, you fail in defending the thesis, need revision.

In this case, you have to re-appear in the Ph.D. to complete the incomplete work.

The third case is a bit different in which a student is advised to do some minor changes and improvements to make their own thesis much better. Usually, re-viva is not conducted in these cases.

In the second case, in which a student fails to defend their thesis, re-viva and second round of thesis defense will be conducted after six months or a year.

Note that awarding the thesis entirely depends on the external examiner.

Can anyone fail in the thesis defense?

I can say yes! But not exactly because it is not an examination. A candidate has to appear again after sometimes to defend the thesis. Here are the cases in which we can say, a candidate failed thesis defense.

Improper, incorrect or partial thesis.
Incomplete objectives.
Incomplete research work.
Lack of significant outcomes.
No publication
Fail to answer questions during the defense.

Practically it is not considered as ‘fail’, re-viva or another round of thesis defense will be conducted.

Tips to successfully defend the thesis for PhD:

When you will be on your presentation, an examiner opens your thesis; thoughts of curiosity, nervousness, excitement and energy will flow around you, all at once.

In these conditions, even if your preparation is excellent, a small mistake can ruin everything for you.

You have to balance your positive as well as negative emotions at the same time. Here are some of the tips that definitely help you to defend your PhD thesis successfully.

Fill yourself with positivity:

You are very near to your goal, one step ahead of getting a degree- an utmost academic honor- the PhD. Surely, you need to balance everything, as I said, but to do so, you need to behave positively.

Even if you know the gaps, problems, limitations and problems of your PhD thesis, yourself or your knowledge, you need to keep calm and behave like everything will be on your side.

Only you know what is not perfect in your presentation or thesis, why to show it to others! Stay calm, focus, confident and positive like everything is perfect there.

If you still feel so negative, imagine there are so many students in the world who have not even reached this level! You are here, on the last step of the PhD- feel proud of yourself.

Related article: Writing a Research Paper for a Ph.D. Dissertation.

Dress well, look well:

To feel confident and positive, you have to look better. Wear a good, decent and formal dress, shave your beard or trim it, style your hair and polish your shoes. If you will look good, a positive and joyful atmosphere will be constructed in the room that will definitely help you.

Don’t look tired, hopeless, restless, sleepless.

Checklist all things:

A couple of things are required during the PhD viva or thesis defense session. One is the presentation and the second is the thesis. In addition to this, don’t forget to take other documents related to your PhD like your plagiarism clearance certificate, your registration certificate and even your logbook.

One can’t appear in the thesis defense session without a presentation and thesis.

Other things are secondary in this case.

Also read: How to Avoid Plagiarism in Your PhD Thesis?

Prepare a good presentation:

Before preparing a PhD presentation, you need to know in which format the university allows to present the thesis. However, the globally accepted format is Microsoft Powerpoint.

Prepare a good, decent and professional PhD presentation of 10 to 15 slides and save it in multiple formats. Include only necessary information, I know it is very difficult to summarize the 4000 to 5000-word essay in 10 slides.

Also, don’t forget to include material, methods, theory, results and outcome of the research, those things are very essential. Make your presentation correct with your PhD supervisor before appearing in the thesis defense.

Make a backup:

What if your presentation will not run on the day of defending the thesis? What if you lost your hardcopy of the thesis? that is not good, right!

You are a PhD student , above all, out of the box thinking ability and good analytic thinking, how can you forget to make backups?

Backup your presentation in a flash drive, cloud storage and email. Prepare presentations in multiple formats.

Make the back of the thesis soft copy as well and store it on different devices that are easily accessible in case of emergency. In addition to this, also prepare a rough and unbounded draft of the thesis hardcopy as a backup.

Control yourself:

Students who have done their PhD sincerely are confident about their work but it is very important to control yourself during the thesis defense. In any harsh condition don’t lose your calm, don’t be aggressive.

Even if you know that the expert is wrong- that is a rare case scenario, respect their opinion and behave accordingly. See it is obvious, no one knows more than you and your guide about your topic.

Try to explain things to the panel member, if it can’t work, leave it, respect their opinion and take it as suggestions.

Read more: 10 PhD Programs You can choose to Study- A Comprehensive Guide .

Answer to the point:

Sometimes it happens that you explain things more than the experts’ needs. There are drawbacks of explaining things elaborately, they can trap you!

As I said, pay attention to the question asked by the expert and try to answer what they want, not more than that. Explain things if they don’t understand.

Do this if you don’t have an answer:

Experts’ duties are to find gaps and problems in your research so that they can find knowledge actually required. So it is obvious, they confuse you, and ask questions which you don’t know.

Don’t get nervous or panic, if you don’t know the answers. Take a deep breath and admit that you don’t have the answer or don’t have an idea about that. To support this situation, you can even make an assumption that this might happen or this will be the reason or give a probability.

See thesis defense is not like a viva, questions will be intellectual and will challenge your knowledge and thinking every time for sure. You have to show them your ability to think differently, not what to already know!

Also read: 50 various PhD degree full forms .

Do this if something wrong happens!

Days change, some are good, rest are bad. Things will be on your side someday, or not on other days. What you will do if something wrong happens whilst defending the thesis?

Your presentation may not work, You lost your thesis, a big problem with the thesis- you didn’t know and problems in findings of results; these are some common problems I had seen in PhD viva.

So you have to prepare for that, what to answer in those conditions. Anyone can make mistakes, simply apologize and request panel members that you will fix the problem soon. See, you have to act as per the situation, I can not tell you what you say in which conditions.

For instance, if your presentation is not working or electricity is not there on the day of the presentation simply apologize for that, present it with the available utilities like chalk and blackboard.

The important thing is don’t panic, apologize first, and request to continue the presentation. For instance, if there is a major issue in the thesis, request the examiner that you will fix it, please allow you to continue the presentation. Try to complete your presentation, anyhow, who knows if they will impress.

Be prepared for the most common questions:

The 10th tip is very useful and kind of a hack for you. There are several questions asked routinely during every thesis defense session. For instance, what is the purpose of your research? How outcomes help society? Why have you chosen this topic? Why have you selected this technique for your work? What are the applications of your research? Like that.

Be prepared for these questions, a few of them will be asked during the session. Then after the discussion will pick the heat, and your thinking ability will be tested.

Read more: What is PhD?- History, Definition, Origin, Requirement, Fees, Duration and Process .

Conclusion:

Thesis or dissertation and PhD viva or thesis defense aren’t mandatory for all. Some professional degrees seek only internships for the award of PhD or doctorate. IN PhD in medicine or psychology, thesis or viva isn’t conducted, though the criteria are decided by the universities and hence vary greatly.

Still, the thesis defense is a common practice performed to award PhD, M Phil or post-graduation degree.

Dr. Tushar Chauhan is a Scientist, Blogger and Scientific-writer. He has completed PhD in Genetics. Dr. Chauhan is a PhD coach and tutor.

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Preparing for your phd thesis defence.

As you start thinking about the end stages of your PhD, it’s important to understand the processes and timelines related to the thesis defence so that your degree completion is not delayed. Even if your thesis defence seems far away, there are several planning considerations you can consider early on to help the end stages of your PhD go smoothly.

On this page you will find videos, tools, and information about what the PhD thesis defence is , timelines for the PhD thesis defence , and tips for a successful PhD thesis defence .

All PhD students should also ensure that they read the PhD thesis examination regulations and review the thesis preparation guidelines prior to their oral defence. If your thesis defence will be conducted remotely, you should also review the process for a remote thesis defence .

What is the PhD defence?

Understanding the purpose, processes and possible outcomes of the thesis defence can help you feel more prepared for the defence itself. In this video, you’ll learn about what the defence is, who’s there, what happens, and the deliberation and range of possible outcomes.

Transcript - Demystifying the thesis defence at University of Waterloo (PDF)

You may wish to learn more about some of the topics discussed in this video. Here are some helpful links to learn more:

Examination committee members (including the external examiner): Visit the PhD thesis examination regulations section on the PhD thesis examining committee for more information about the committee members, including information about the external examiner and conflicts of interest.

Closed thesis defences and non-disclosure agreements: Visit the PhD thesis examination regulations section on guidelines for thesis examination without public disclosure for more information about closed thesis examinations.
Thesis defence decisions and outcomes: Visit the PhD thesis examination regulations section on decisions for additional information about decisions and outcomes.
Thesis submission: Visit the thesis submission webpage for information about the thesis submission process, including approvals that must be obtained before submitting your thesis.
UWSpace: Visit the Library’s UWSpace webpage for information about what UWSpace is and how to submit, or deposit, your thesis to UWSpace.

Timeline to defence

Early planning considerations.

Well before your defence date, there are several considerations to think about that can help make the end stages of your degree go smoothly and ensure your defence date and degree completion are not delayed:

Being aware of formatting requirements will save you time on revisions later on – the last thing you want to be doing before submitting your thesis to UWSpace is updating page numbers or your table of contents! Consider using the Microsoft Word or LaTeX thesis template produced by Information Systems & Technology.
The Dissertation Boost Camp can help you develop effective writing practices and strategies for completing your thesis, while the three-part Rock Your Thesis workshop series will provide practical guidance for planning, writing, revising, and submitting your thesis project. You can also book an individual appointment to do backwards planning with an advisor. They can help you utilize the planning tools most effectively, while providing hands-on guidance and feedback.
If you are using third-party content, including your own previously published work in your thesis, or seeking intellectual property protection (for yourself or another involved party), there may be implications for your thesis or defence. Learn more about copyright for your thesis , and email [email protected] for help with copyright questions related to your thesis.
Depending on your departmental or discipline’s norms, you may require approval from your entire committee, or just your supervisor. Ensure you talk with your supervisor and/or committee early on to confirm processes and timelines, so you’re not surprised later.
Depending on your departmental or discipline’s norms, your supervisor may select an external examiner themselves, or they may seek your input. Talk to your supervisor early on about this process, as in some faculties the external examiner may need to be vetted and approved as early as the term before you wish to defend. Remember that there are conflict of interest guidelines around the appointment of the external examiner , and the PhD candidate should not be in communication with the external examiner prior to the defence.
A PhD thesis must be on display for a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the defence date. To accommodate, you may need to submit your thesis as early as 6-8 weeks prior to your defence. Review your faculty specific backwards planning tool for the thesis submission deadline in your faculty and learn more about the display period in the PhD thesis examination regulations.
After your successful thesis defence, you will likely have some required revisions to your thesis. It’s important to understand revision timelines , especially if you’re hoping to become “degree complete” before a tuition refund or convocation deadline. Find tuition refund and convocation deadlines in the important dates calendar .
Following your thesis defence, there are several steps to be taken before your final, approved thesis is accepted in UWSpace. Ensure that you’re aware of these thesis submission steps and timelines in advance.

Backwards planning tools

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, in collaboration with the Faculties, have prepared faculty specific backwards planning tools to help PhD candidates map out the timelines related to their thesis defence and degree completion.

Select your faculty below to download a PDF copy of the backwards planning tool. We encourage you to discuss your ideal timelines with your supervisor(s) and your department graduate program co-ordinator.

Faculty of Health backwards planning tool (PDF)
Faculty of Arts backwards planning tool (PDF)
Faculty of Engineering backwards planning tool (PDF)
Faculty of Environment backwards planning tool (PDF)
Faculty of Mathematics backwards planning tool (PDF)
Faculty of Science backwards planning tool (PDF)

Tips for success

The PhD thesis defence is the culmination of years of hard work! The tips outlined in this video, compiled from recent PhD graduates and experienced thesis defence chairs, cover tips for preparing for your defence, day-of logistics, and defending successfully.

Transcript - Your Thesis Defence: Tips for Success (PDF)

Will your PhD thesis defence be held remotely? We’ve compiled additional tips for success specifically related to the remote defence.

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How to prepare an excellent thesis defense

What is a thesis defense?

How long is a thesis defense, what happens at a thesis defense, your presentation, questions from the committee, 6 tips to help you prepare for your thesis defense, 1. anticipate questions and prepare for them, 2. dress for success, 3. ask for help, as needed, 4. have a backup plan, 5. prepare for the possibility that you might not know an answer, 6. de-stress before, during, and after, frequently asked questions about preparing an excellent thesis defense, related articles.

If you're about to complete, or have ever completed a graduate degree, you have most likely come across the term "thesis defense." In many countries, to finish a graduate degree, you have to write a thesis .

A thesis is a large paper, or multi-chapter work, based on a topic relating to your field of study.

Once you hand in your thesis, you will be assigned a date to defend your work. Your thesis defense meeting usually consists of you and a committee of two or more professors working in your program. It may also include other people, like professionals from other colleges or those who are working in your field.

During your thesis defense, you will be asked questions about your work. The main purpose of your thesis defense is for the committee to make sure that you actually understand your field and focus area.

The questions are usually open-ended and require the student to think critically about their work. By the time of your thesis defense, your paper has already been evaluated. The questions asked are not designed so that you actually have to aggressively "defend" your work; often, your thesis defense is more of a formality required so that you can get your degree.

Check with your department about requirements and timing.
Re-read your thesis.
Anticipate questions and prepare for them.
Create a back-up plan to deal with technology hiccups.
Plan de-stressing activities both before, and after, your defense.

How long your oral thesis defense is depends largely on the institution and requirements of your degree. It is best to consult your department or institution about this. In general, a thesis defense may take only 20 minutes, but it may also take two hours or more. The length also depends on how much time is allocated to the presentation and questioning part.

Tip: Check with your department or institution as soon as possible to determine the approved length for a thesis defense.

First of all, be aware that a thesis defense varies from country to country. This is just a general overview, but a thesis defense can take many different formats. Some are closed, others are public defenses. Some take place with two committee members, some with more examiners.

The same goes for the length of your thesis defense, as mentioned above. The most important first step for you is to clarify with your department what the structure of your thesis defense will look like. In general, your thesis defense will include:

your presentation of around 20-30 minutes
questions from the committee
questions from the audience (if the defense is public and the department allows it)

You might have to give a presentation, often with Powerpoint, Google slides, or Keynote slides. Make sure to prepare an appropriate amount of slides. A general rule is to use about 10 slides for a 20-minute presentation.

But that also depends on your specific topic and the way you present. The good news is that there will be plenty of time ahead of your thesis defense to prepare your slides and practice your presentation alone and in front of friends or family.

Tip: Practice delivering your thesis presentation in front of family, friends, or colleagues.

You can prepare your slides by using information from your thesis' first chapter (the overview of your thesis) as a framework or outline. Substantive information in your thesis should correspond with your slides.

Make sure your slides are of good quality— both in terms of the integrity of the information and the appearance. If you need more help with how to prepare your presentation slides, both the ASQ Higher Education Brief and James Hayton have good guidelines on the topic.

The committee will ask questions about your work after you finish your presentation. The questions will most likely be about the core content of your thesis, such as what you learned from the study you conducted. They may also ask you to summarize certain findings and to discuss how your work will contribute to the existing body of knowledge.

Tip: Read your entire thesis in preparation of the questions, so you have a refreshed perspective on your work.

While you are preparing, you can create a list of possible questions and try to answer them. You can foresee many of the questions you will get by simply spending some time rereading your thesis.

Here are a few tips on how to prepare for your thesis defense:

You can absolutely prepare for most of the questions you will be asked. Read through your thesis and while you're reading it, create a list of possible questions. In addition, since you will know who will be on the committee, look at the academic expertise of the committee members. In what areas would they most likely be focused?

If possible, sit at other thesis defenses with these committee members to get a feel for how they ask and what they ask. As a graduate student, you should generally be adept at anticipating test questions, so use this advantage to gather as much information as possible before your thesis defense meeting.

Your thesis defense is a formal event, often the entire department or university is invited to participate. It signals a critical rite of passage for graduate students and faculty who have supported them throughout a long and challenging process.

While most universities don't have specific rules on how to dress for that event, do regard it with dignity and respect. This one might be a no-brainer, but know that you should dress as if you were on a job interview or delivering a paper at a conference.

It might help you deal with your stress before your thesis defense to entrust someone with the smaller but important responsibilities of your defense well ahead of schedule. This trusted person could be responsible for:

preparing the room of the day of defense
setting up equipment for the presentation
preparing and distributing handouts

Technology is unpredictable. Life is too. There are no guarantees that your Powerpoint presentation will work at all or look the way it is supposed to on the big screen. We've all been there. Make sure to have a plan B for these situations. Handouts can help when technology fails, and an additional clean shirt can save the day if you have a spill.

One of the scariest aspects of the defense is the possibility of being asked a question you can't answer. While you can prepare for some questions, you can never know exactly what the committee will ask.

There will always be gaps in your knowledge. But your thesis defense is not about being perfect and knowing everything, it's about how you deal with challenging situations. You are not expected to know everything.

James Hayton writes on his blog that examiners will sometimes even ask questions they don't know the answer to, out of curiosity, or because they want to see how you think. While it is ok sometimes to just say "I don't know", he advises to try something like "I don't know, but I would think [...] because of x and y, but you would need to do [...] in order to find out.” This shows that you have the ability to think as an academic.

You will be nervous. But your examiners will expect you to be nervous. Being well prepared can help minimize your stress, but do know that your examiners have seen this many times before and are willing to help, by repeating questions, for example. Dora Farkas at finishyourthesis.com notes that it’s a myth that thesis committees are out to get you.

Two common symptoms of being nervous are talking really fast and nervous laughs. Try to slow yourself down and take a deep breath. Remember what feels like hours to you are just a few seconds in real life.

Try meditational breathing right before your defense.
Get plenty of exercise and sleep in the weeks prior to your defense.
Have your clothes or other items you need ready to go the night before.
During your defense, allow yourself to process each question before answering.
Go to dinner with friends and family, or to a fun activity like mini-golf, after your defense.

Allow yourself to process each question, respond to it, and stop talking once you have responded. While a smile can often help dissolve a difficult situation, remember that nervous laughs can be irritating for your audience.

We all make mistakes and your thesis defense will not be perfect. However, careful preparation, mindfulness, and confidence can help you feel less stressful both before, and during, your defense.

Finally, consider planning something fun that you can look forward to after your defense.

It is completely normal to be nervous. Being well prepared can help minimize your stress, but do know that your examiners have seen this many times before and are willing to help, by repeating questions for example if needed. Slow yourself down, and take a deep breath.

Your thesis defense is not about being perfect and knowing everything, it's about how you deal with challenging situations. James Hayton writes on his blog that it is ok sometimes to just say "I don't know", but he advises to try something like "I don't know, but I would think [...] because of x and y, you would need to do [...] in order to find out".

Your Powerpoint presentation can get stuck or not look the way it is supposed to do on the big screen. It can happen and your supervisors know it. In general, handouts can always save the day when technology fails.

Dress for success.
Ask for help setting up.
Have a backup plan (in case technology fails you).
Deal with your nerves.

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When can a thesis get rejected or asked for a major revision?

I am planning to submit my thesis next month. I have 4 published SCI-indexed journals (Elsevier, Springer, IEEE transaction, World Scientific) and 2 more journals communicated (all first authors). My thesis is on Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. The thesis will be sent to two external examiners about whom I will not know (Institute policy). I am fearing what will happen if my thesis somehow gets rejected (I do not know why I am so scared right now).

Should I be worried that my thesis may get rejected?

Also, what happens when the thesis gets major revision?

Do I have to do the corrections and send the thesis again?

When a reviewer is checking a thesis, usually what does he want in it?

Does he read the entire thesis line by line?

Kindly share any incident of thesis rejections if you know of any, why it was rejected and how the person finally got his degree.

peer-review
thesis-committee
bioinformatics

5 Surely you have been a PhD student long enough to have asked other students what they went through? Have you asked your supervisor? Supervisors don’t usually allow submission until the work is ready and you should have agreed the work with your supervisor. – Solar Mike Commented Aug 19, 2020 at 5:00
4 With several journal publications in solid or better journals, it's very unlikely to be rejected. If the supervisor gave you green light, they assume you are fine. It is good to be anxious to some extent, but at this stage, according to what you report, it does not look like an existential matter. Of course, we do not know the details of the case, but I do not see red flags here. – Captain Emacs Commented Aug 19, 2020 at 7:43
5 where are you? Thesis submission and marking processes vary wildly between different academic cultures. – Chris H Commented Aug 19, 2020 at 10:55
3 I have never heard of a PhD thesis being rejected. It would reflect catastrophically on the advisor and damage the relationship between the advisor and other examiners. Usually, submission of the thesis needs approval by the advisor. You can trust your advisor to recognize if a thesis is such utter trash that it can be rejected. – user9482 Commented Aug 19, 2020 at 12:27
1 This is a question you should be asking to your advisor and committee. It is not a question for strangers on the internet. – David Ketcheson Commented Aug 19, 2020 at 13:04

4 Answers 4

This very much depends on which system you are in. I can answer from the point of view of the UK system.

It is very un likely your thesis will be outright rejected.

It is very likely you will be asked to make some corrections.

Yes, you will have to make the corrections and send the thesis again.

Requirements for a thesis are generally set out by the university. They normally specify you must have made a "novel contribution to the field" and the work is, in principle, of publication quality. Or something similar.

Yes, a good examiner will read the thesis line by line.

There are five possible outcomes from the examination of a thesis.

Accepted without corrections
Minor corrections - generally textual changes only - 3 month time limit
Major corrections - might involve some reanalysis, but no new experiments - 6 month time limit.
Resubmit - this thesis does not pass, but contains sufficient material to convince the examiners you are capable of passing. You are giving leave to rewrite and resubmit the thesis. May involve new experiments - often 1 year time limit.
Fail (either with or without a Master of Philosophy degree).

Almost all students are given minor or major corrections - I'd say 90% fall into these categories. Slightly more in minor corrections probably. Maybe 8% get no corrections, and perhaps 1.5% are asked to resubmit. Very, very few fail outright.

I'm in the UK system as well. I've been supervisor and examiner and I've seen what happened to other students. From my experience 1.5% is far too low a percentage for resubmission. I'd say 10% or even more. I have made this decision as examiner, and had it made by other examiners for one of my students (although that was apparently not based on the thesis in the first place, more on viva performance); I have examined less than 10 and supervised 5-10. I've also seen this happening in other cases. I agree with the rest, by and large. – Christian Hennig Commented Aug 19, 2020 at 12:37
4 Disciplinary differences I guess - I've never done it, nor had it done to one of my students. Of my colleagues, I only know of one or two occasions where they have given out a re-submission. – Ian Sudbery Commented Aug 19, 2020 at 12:55
This would match my US experience in biology. I would say the number for anything worse than "major corrections" is effectively zero when the advisor supports the thesis , and 4 or 5 become much more likely if not. Most who would otherwise fall into 4 or especially 5 would likely not even submit a thesis. – Bryan Krause ♦ Commented Aug 19, 2020 at 21:51

Four published journal articles and two under review, that sounds impressive to me! It's natural to fear your thesis will get rejected, it's natural to be scared: Search this forum for impostor syndrome

Also, what happens when the thesis gets major revision? Do I have to do the corrections and send the thesis again?

That'll likely depend on your institute and country. I suspect you'll need to make corrections in a timely fashion, perhaps your examiners will need to check they are satisfied.

A novel (valid) contribution to your field (just like a journal article), mastery of the material, and a broad understand of your domain.

That depends on the examiner.

The other answers have generally good advice, to address a specific question you had:

I only know of one thesis that was completely rejected. In this case:

The student had a very weak publication record.
The student decided it was time for them to graduate (not the advisor).
The procedure for a defense didn't require the advisors signature, so they submitted the form and schedule the exam without their consent. (And initially without their knowledge.)
The advisor told them they weren't ready to graduate.
At the defense I'm told they couldn't answer even basic questions on the field properly.
After a year they were able to try one more time, and nothing changed, so they failed out of the program.

From what you've posted, this is far from your situation. So, while occasion anxiety is understandable, it is probably unwarranted in your case.

I also know of one case where someone's PhD was found to highly overlap with another PhD in another area with completely different terminology. (Math vs CS) That was awful for everyone involved - in that case they were given more time by the committee to come back and address it, and eventually they graduated.

It is possible but unlikely that your thesis is rejected.

Although probably technically illegal, it is also probable that any sensible examiner would quietly contact your supervisor before submitting a report if there was a major problem with the thesis, if only to make sure there was no major misunderstanding and avoid embarrassment for the student but also for those like the thesis director who allowed the thesis to go forward. My experience is that examiners will prefer to hold their noses and accept a marginal or bad thesis rather than cause trouble and reject the submission.

The most likely outcome is that you will be asked to make minor revisions, and then your school will have some procedure to handle this time-wise. Usually the examiners do not need to see the thesis again when resubmitted after minor corrections.

Depending on how closely the thesis is examined, it may be accepted as is, but this very rare in my experience, and not necessarily desirable and one wonders how closely the examiner did his/her job. You want the examiner to engage with and improve the outcome to raise the visibility of the results.

In 35 or so years of experience, I know for certain of only three cases where a thesis was rejected: in two instances a document was submitted over the objection of the thesis director; in the third instance a real error was found in the thesis. Since this is exceptionally rare, you tend to hear about such instances when they happen. Thankfully, I was not involved directly in any of the situations.

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Of monsters and mentors: PhD disasters, and how to avoid them

Despite all that’s been done to improve doctoral study, horror stories keep coming. here three students relate phd nightmares while two academics advise on how to ensure a successful supervision.

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For all the efforts in recent years to improve the doctoral experience for students, Times Higher Education still receives a steady supply of horror stories from PhD candidates. To the authors of such submissions, the system appears, at best, indifferent to them and, at worst, outright exploitative. Here, we present three such examples – all of whose writers, tellingly, feel the need to remain anonymous, given the power dynamics involved.

Perhaps such tales are inevitable. Perhaps, even with the best will in the world, there will always be supervisor-supervisee relationships that just don’t function; expectations that, however heartfelt, just aren’t realistic; supervisors who just can’t find the time to give the kind of detailed supervision that they would like to give, and that students feel they need.

But perhaps there is still more that could be done to ensure that this most intense and crucial of academic relationships doesn’t end up on the rocks. In that spirit, two academics with strong views on the matter – one from science and one from the humanities – set out how they think the supervisory task should best be approached. Their guidance may not amount to a stake through the heart of the PhD horror franchise: as B-movie history amply demonstrates, good advice is not always heeded. But the exposure of the problems to further sunlight may at least slow the drip-drip of blood on to the doctoral carpet.

I had never felt so helpless in my life. The university wholly and blindly supported my supervisors, ignored my concerns and suggested, again, that I was making things up

When I was offered a fully funded doctorate in a UK environmental science laboratory, I was delighted and accepted instantly. I assumed that the experience of working in an international environment and the many transferable skills that I would learn would be a stepping stone to an exciting career beyond the academy. Little did I know that what I had signed up for would destroy not only my career plans but also my passion for the subject, my ambition and my self-confidence.

My supervisors turned out to have limited knowledge of the topic that they had so glamorously advertised, and the university lacked the facilities and machinery that I needed. Left with precious little guidance, I was obliged to work with methods that would do very little to enhance my career. An obvious solution was to set up an external collaboration, but my supervisors were reluctant to sanction it. They didn’t seem to want to share the glory with anyone else, but the environment that they created meant that there was never likely to be much glory to share anyway.

It didn’t help, either, that I am female. My male supervisors, in a male-dominated field, constantly made belittling remarks that they would never have made to a male student, remarks that led me to doubt my own capabilities. My doctorate became a living nightmare, and, after a year of ineffectively trying to solve the issues directly with my supervisors, I decided to take things further.

Because the head of my department had just resigned, I sought help from the university’s students’ union. But joint meetings with a union representative and my supervisors seemed to go nowhere, culminating in accusations that I was “making up” the issues. The union subsequently managed to arrange a meeting with the head of the graduate school, but, nearly six weeks after our meeting, he deemed my case too complex and I was ultimately told to solve my issues with my supervisors directly!

I had never felt so helpless in my life, and I was amazed at how unconcerned the university apparently was about student well-being. After months of more meetings with my supervisors and the union, I was contacted by the departmental postgraduate tutor, who expressed “concern” about my progress. This offered me a ray of hope. However, as usual, things got worse rather than better. The university wholly and blindly supported my supervisors, ignored my concerns and suggested, again, that I was making things up. I was offered an additional female supervisor, but, while welcome, that would have done little to solve the other issues.

I was given an ultimatum. I had two weeks to decide if I wanted to continue with my PhD and “accept” things as they were. The alternative was to leave – without any form of diploma or certificate for my two years of work (which included the publication of a first-author paper).

My last throw of the dice was to contact my funding body. However, my entire funding had already been transferred to my university, so there was little that it could do to help me. Thus I had no other choice but to quit and to watch as the university swept my case under the carpet, documenting my withdrawal as the result of “personal and health issues”.

Although the experience has cost me a lot, it also taught me a considerable amount. I learned to be wary of offers that seem too good to be true. I learned not to take my rights for granted. I learned the value of having expectations, commitments and offers put down in writing. I learned to trust no one.

I also learned a lot about how higher education institutions function. I discovered that they will do whatever it takes to cover up their own mishaps to save their reputation, even if it comes at the cost of destroying a young person’s career.

Anecdotally, cases similar to mine are becoming increasingly common. In recent months, there have been multiple ongoing cases at my former university, including more withdrawals. However, the university just recruits more students to make up for the losses.

It is well known that PhD students are widely seen by academics as a cheap workforce. But to be treated with such little respect by the people who are supposed to foster your career and help you to succeed is just not right in any workplace.

The author prefers to remain anonymous.

If you want to supervise and mentor with integrity and thoughtfulness, it is ultimately up to you to decide to do so, and to make the rules. You cannot assume good ethics on the part of your department

The power that you as a supervisor have over a student or postdoc is immense. Your actions, whether they are kindnesses, temper tantrums or intimacies, have the potential to shake up trainees to a much greater degree than their actions can affect you. And, most of the time, trainees have no way to solve conflicts with you if you won’t negotiate. Hence, it is your responsibility not to abuse your power.

But it takes integrity and clarity not to do so. Doctoral supervision is challenging. Your first difficulty is in acknowledging and getting beyond unrealistic expectations of your students that you might not even know you have. In science, new supervisors often imagine a lab filled with idealised workers: miniature versions of themselves, who churn out data and submit manuscripts. So when their charges don’t do exactly what they expect, they feel frustrated.

You might also observe that other supervisors allow their people to flounder, or even to fail. And even though you don’t want that, you have never had the lessons in personnel management that might ensure it doesn’t happen. Academic departments and institutions may or may not provide support to guide supervisors and students in building effective relationships.

If you want to supervise and mentor students with integrity and thoughtfulness, it is ultimately up to you to decide to do so, and to make the rules. You cannot assume good ethics on the part of your department. Nor can you assume, as a scientist, that your research group will passively absorb your good intentions. You must consider what you haven’t been trained in graduate school to consider: your own ethics, morals and sense of justice. Accept what institutional help exists, but if the policies at your institution render trainees expendable, you must develop the courage to stand up to power.

And then you build a framework for your students in which your ethics, rules and expectations are clear. For example, if you want your people to know that you are concerned with their professional futures, don’t let them drift without guidance. Evaluate each person regularly, and give feedback and compassionate criticism – not just on results but also on communication skills, presentation skills, time management and other characteristics of a successful professional. Keep notes on your meetings and follow up on what you and the trainee have discussed. Check in frequently and provide multiple opportunities for discussion and interaction. Be present.

Authorship and project choice are other vital areas where your policies can reflect your intentions to have a collaborative rather than a competitive climate. How are projects chosen? Do you actively foster collaboration, putting new people to work with more established lab members in a way that both parties benefit from, and will you continue to guide and monitor those collaborations? Do you intend to compete with your own trainees when they leave, or will you allow them to take their projects with them? Who writes the papers? How is authorship decided? Will you protect your people in authorship disputes with collaborating groups, or will you sacrifice a trainee to keep last authorship for yourself?

Create a group manual, with protocols, policy and helpful information, being specific about whatever you consider to be important for students to know. Include information about where trainees can find help if they have a personal or project issue – including problems with you.

You also need to be prepared to deal with the inevitable conflicts between lab members. Learn not to fear it, as that fear can mould you into a little dictator and keep you from understanding what people need. Have a process to work through conflicts (look up “interest-based conflict resolution”), as fair process often carries more weight with people even than achieving the outcome they wanted. Explain that process to your students, too: conflict resolution is one of the most valuable skills you can pass on. Don’t run from emotions – research is an emotional business – but learn to control your own emotional responses so that they don’t interfere with your communications.

Talk about ethical behaviour, and model that behaviour. If you expect your people to meet deadlines, you should be on time for meetings and return manuscripts and phone calls predictably. If you hear someone making a racist or sexist remark, correct the person: doing nothing will send the message that such behaviour is OK by you.

It is also important not to let yourself, or anyone else, become isolated. Make a point of introducing your students to your former students and postdocs – as well as to experts in their fields – when they visit or when you encounter them at meetings. Model the value of mentors by having mentors yourself, for personal and professional advice. Have the confidence to encourage trainees to have other role models and mentors, especially if they move into a project area in which you aren’t expert: having mentors is the start of building a web of relationships that will support trainees all through their lives.

But students must also be activists. Some supervisors eat their young, and some institutions allow it. As a student, you have the greatest level of control before you accept a position, so look for a place where you are respected and can do the work that you believe in. Ask other students questions about the scholarship and mentorship of particular supervisors before you make the decision to sign on. Once there, find role models, and get to know your community. The more you are integrated with others, the more people there are to help should your relationship with your supervisor or your project go badly.

It is unfortunate and unfair that students are not always protected, and that leaving might be the only solution to a toxic situation, but that is the harsh reality. So, as a student, doing all that you can to ensure that you will be appreciated and fulfilled in the position you accept is worth the effort.

Kathleen Barker is clinical assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health. She is the author of At the Helm: Leading Your Laboratory (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press).

PhD students are often made to feel like they are a huge burden on their supervisors, and they are frequently ignored and unsupported

Tom sent his supervisor a chapter of his PhD thesis to read six weeks ago. He can’t start on the next chapter until he receives feedback on what he has already done. But he has had no response despite chasing up his supervisor – with whom he gets on well personally – several times. Indeed, he has not even received an acknowledgement of his email. And he knows that when he does finally receive a reply, there will be no mention of the delay, let alone an apology. He knows that because this has all happened before.

But this time the situation plays out even more egregiously. After Tom has waited for two more weeks, he finally hears back – a full two months after his initial email. But his supervisor has checked only the first two pages and the last page of his chapter, ignoring everything between.

Tom is frustrated, but he thanks his supervisor for the feedback and does not challenge her over the delay. How can he when he is entirely dependent on her to get him through the PhD submission process and to supply a good reference for subsequent job applications? Besides, sustaining a complaint would come down to his word against hers – and she is senior and well respected in the department and the university. No one would believe him. And even if they did, would it really be worth the hassle of getting another supervisor allocated to him in his final year – and, in the process, acquiring a bad reputation in the department for being the one who “made a fuss”?

So Tom soldiers on. Eventually, after much delay, he finishes his thesis. But is it ready for submission? He points out to his supervisor that he does not believe that the thesis has been checked properly, but she tells him to stop worrying, to take responsibility for his work and to be confident in its quality and in his ability to defend it. So he takes the plunge and submits. But he spends the next two months worrying that he might fail, rendering the past four years of hard work a complete waste of time.

This is a true story. And it takes only a few cursory searches of online PhD forums to see how common such scenarios are. PhD students are often made to feel like they are a huge burden on their supervisors, and they are frequently ignored and unsupported. Hence, even the most toxic student-supervisor relationships often persist long beyond the point of dysfunctionality, sometimes leaving the student with mental health problems.

I believe that this happens primarily because supervisors’ responsibilities are rarely clearly defined and because supervisors are not accountable to anyone for carrying them out. So I make the following recommendations:

Training for supervisors must be compulsory
Supervisors must be held accountable to someone senior in the department, and PhD students should be made aware of who that is
Supervisors must be required to respond to their PhD students’ emails within three days, barring any type of leave
Supervisors’ responsibilities need to be outlined clearly in a handbook that is available to both supervisors and students. It should also be made clear to students how much of their supervisors’ time each week or month is allocated to giving them feedback so that they are not made to feel like a burden
Students must be assigned a mentor who is not close to their supervisor or in the same research team – ideally in another department altogether. This person can help to alleviate concerns and act as an intermediary when necessary
There should be an anonymous procedure within each department that PhD students can use to complain or give feedback about their supervisor
Supervisors should be formally encouraged to ask their students annually how they could better support them. This should be part of supervisors’ yearly appraisals.

In the absence of such steps, such stories as the one above will continue to write themselves over and over again.

If a relationship works well, it can be life-changing for the student and deeply rewarding for the supervisor. Supervising PhDs, I have been directed along paths that I would not have discovered otherwise

There is no doubt in my mind that the best part of being an academic over the years has been supervising PhD students. I cannot remember how many I have supervised, but the number runs to well over 80, and I have examined even more than that.

I am still in touch with many former students and examinees, and have been delighted to follow their careers wherever they are in the world. If a relationship between supervisor and postgraduate works well, it can be life-changing for the student and deeply rewarding for the supervisor. I have learned so much from supervising PhDs, and have been directed along new paths that I would not have discovered otherwise. There have been occasions when a student would arrive in my office with a bag full of books that he or she felt I should read: a living demonstration of the fact that it is not always the supervisor who provides all the bibliographical information.

I always start by telling students three things: that I will read every word they write in draft and then in final copy; that if they can get me to approve the thesis, given how tough I am going to be with them, then they have a very good chance of getting it past the examiners; and that they should not be discouraged if they find that their work is shifting direction after a few months. Writing a humanities PhD is an organic process, and if ideas have not started to develop by the end of the first year, then something is going wrong. Supervisors are particularly important at this stage, to provide reassurance and to help the student move forward.

Supervising PhDs is rewarding because you can see the process of intellectual development unfolding before your eyes. But it is also an intensely time-consuming task. All the various calculations of hourly allocation for supervision are absurd: if you are going to supervise properly, then you have to be prepared to spend hours reading drafts and then talking to the student.

There are some supervisors who do not write anything on drafts, preferring to correct only a final version. I find this ridiculously unhelpful. The whole point of reading drafts is to give proper feedback, and in the case of international students this kind of detailed reading is essential. Academic writing courses help, but careful editing by a supervisor is vital.

Nor should a supervisor’s detailed corrections focus on content alone. They also need to address spelling, punctuation, style and structure. Sometimes I have proposed radical structural changes, such as moving material from a conclusion into the introduction and vice versa. Such suggestions can be responsibly made only after you do a final read-through of the whole thesis – and that final reading is essential because although you may have read individual chapters or sections over several years, only the student will have a clear idea of how they want it to fit together.

It is also important to provide a written summary of general points after reading each draft. I learned early on that trying to do this verbally does not work because a student is often anxious and so does not take everything in. An email with bullet points works best. It is also important to balance criticism with praise, so the summary should start out with something positive before moving on to the “however” part. But all criticism, however negative, should be presented in such a way as to offer solutions and to help the student with the next stage in writing.

One of the problems facing supervisors in the UK is that the hours they put in are never adequately acknowledged by university management. This is because the UK has had to try to catch up with the kind of structure for doctorates that operates in US universities, and often PhD students have been tagged on as extras to someone’s academic workload. In the humanities, there have also been (and remain) some curious ideas about the need for a supervisor to be a “specialist” in exactly the same area as the student. Not only can this impose undue pressures on specialists in popular fields, it is also conceptually misconceived. Supervision should take both student and supervisor down relatively unexplored paths.

When it comes to choosing an examiner, practices vary widely. I have heard colleagues state firmly that the student should have no input, but I consult with mine because it is important to find out whether they have been in contact with any potential examiners. Also, despite clear guidelines, some universities still do not appoint anyone to chair the viva, which means that if a student feels hard done by, there is no independent witness. That only makes the choice of examiner even more important.

I don’t understand why supervising PhDs should be seen as a chore, rather than as a unique opportunity to engage with the brightest minds of younger generations. My research would be so much poorer without the help that I have received, directly and indirectly, from my doctoral students.

Susan Bassnett is professor of comparative literature at the universities of Warwick and Glasgow.

The degree was not awarded. Yet years later I discovered evidence that the viva had been deliberately biased. It’s a serious matter – so how would the university respond?

Some students cheat. That’s clear from numerous articles in the press. But is this a one-sided view? How often is the examiner’s performance questioned or subjected to independent scrutiny? For postgraduates in particular, this is no trivial matter: any bias or lack of honesty in an examiner can waste years of the candidate’s life and can degrade trust in the system.

My experience may not be typical, but it’s certainly an eye-opener for any postgraduate who assumes that the viva examination will be automatically fair and above board.

After an MSc, I completed four years of doctoral research at a major UK university. The results were formally approved by the relevant research council and were published as a series of seven papers in major, peer-reviewed journals.

Before the viva, I’d queried the choice of examiners, owing to perceived bias, but was overruled.

The degree was not awarded: the examiners claimed that none of my seven papers had deserved publication – even though they had satisfied a total of 14 independent referees. The examiners had decided all 14 were wrong.

So what did I do? I got on with my life. Years later, though, I discovered that my papers are cited in the examiners’ own publications: that is, the examiners had used them as valid references to support their own work. Incredibly, some of these papers had been referenced before my viva. Clearly, this was perverse, dishonest and highly unprofessional conduct: the viva had been deliberately biased. It’s a serious matter – so how would the university respond?

I sent it five of the examiners’ publications that cite my papers, together with a copy of the examiners’ signed report. I asked for acknowledgement that the viva had been biased. But the university declined to comment; it said the complaint was “out of time”.

Where there is evidence of malpractice, it should not matter when the viva was held: bias was deliberate and obvious, and the university could have followed up. Hiding behind process is a deeply inadequate response to such a blatant and egregious case. Nowadays, so-called historic cases of injustice and abuse, some from many decades ago, are being recognised and investigated. So why is corruption in education treated differently?

Examinations might be more equitable if, before the viva, candidates were officially entitled to raise concerns about their examiners – any concerns being addressed independently of the college or university. Such adjudication might seldom be needed, but it should still be in place. Examiners, after all, are people. And people – from students to presidents – do not always possess the levels of integrity and honesty that we naively expect of them.

Candidates should not be expected to accept a particular examiner if they can offer valid reasons for not doing so. And any university that seeks to impose a disputed examiner should be asked to reconsider its definition of fair play.

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PhDs: ‘toxic’ supervisors and ‘students from hell’

How should universities handle breakdowns in PhD student-supervisor relationships?

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PhD Defense

Preparing for a PhD Defense

Table of contents, preparing to start, nominate a faculty member to serve as chair for your defense, selecting a defense date, international students and work visas, registration categories for defense, dissertation writing and guidelines, preparing your dissertation for defense, registering your dissertation for the final oral exam, know the rituals.

Use PowerPoint

Public Lecture

Dress Professionally

Items to Bring to the Defense

The Closed Examination

Address Questions with Confidence

Student Status

Final corrected copies of the dissertation, publishing your final dissertation, binding your final dissertation, before defense.

Before you can start your thesis you must:

Complete all courses, exams, and research requirements
Meet with your advisory committee to ensure that everyone agrees that the work is ready to defend
Decide on a date for the defense
Inform your graduate administrator that you have started the process to prepare for your defense

A chair is appointed for each PhD oral defense to monitor and promote fairness and rigor in the conduct of the defense. To help eliminate pre-established judgments on the candidate’s work, the chair should be from a different program/department than the student. For more information about chair responsibilities, read the instructions for the chair .

You must identify a faculty member to serve as chair for your defense. The chair must be:

A current full-time faculty member at assistant professor rank or higher
Outside the department offering the degree program, or outside your advisor's department (interdisciplinary degree programs only)
Someone who has not had prior involvement in your research

The selection of the chair is subject to the approval of the department/program, th Arts, Sciences and Engineering dean of graduate education and postdoctoral affairs, and the University dean of graduate studies.

The chair must be physically present during the entire defense, including the public oral presentation (if applicable) and the questioning session. The chair is welcome to read and comment on the dissertation and/or the defense presentation, but this is not required. The chair does not need to be an expert in your research area.

It is your responsibility to get a copy of the final dissertation to the chair at least one week prior to the defense.

You should begin scheduling the actual defense date three months in advance to ensure that your advisor, committee members, and chair are able to be present and that rooms are available on the date and time selected.

Defenses can be held on any day the University’s Graduate Studies Office is open (not weekends, evenings, holidays, or the days between Christmas and New Year’s). Check the academic calendar for important dates and deadlines.

Use the PhD calendar to determine the deadline dates for getting your paperwork to the Office of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs and department committee.

When all committee members and your chair agree to a specific date and time for the defense, inform your graduate administrator as soon as you possibly can, but no later than six weeks prior to your defense date . Your graduate administrator will advise you of any program-specific requirements for the defense as well as work with you to prepare for your thesis defense. They will also help you determine who will schedule the room for your thesis defense.

You should provide your committee members at least two weeks to read and comment on your dissertation before the date you need to register your dissertation.

Participating Via Video Conferencing

While you, your advisor, and the chair must all be physically present in the room for the defense, other committee members are allowed to participate in the defense remotely via Skype or other video conferencing technology so long as all committee members agree to the arrangement. This must also be approved by the AS&E dean of graduate education and postdoctoral affairs and the University dean of graduate studies before the dissertation is registered for defense.

Someone other than you and your committee must handle the IT setup and be on standby for any problems. If anyone involved finds that remote participation is interfering with the defense, he or she can request that the defense be rescheduled.

We strongly recommend that international students meet with an International Services Office (ISO) representative as soon as permission to start writing is granted. The ISO will provide information on visa options, documentation, and timelines for applying for a visa for employment in the United States.

You will register for one of the following categories while preparing your defense:

999: Dissertation —Indicates the PhD student has completed all of the requirements for the degree except the dissertation and is in residence as a full-time student
995 : Continuation of Enrollment —Indicates the PhD student has completed all of the requirements for the degree except the dissertation and is not in residence as a full-time student

See the registration page for more information about these categories.

The Preparing Your Doctoral Dissertation manual is a great resource to help you bring your dissertation up to the required standard of organization, appearance, and format for the University of Rochester. Before preparing the defense copy of your dissertation, check the contents of the manual carefully to help avoid mistakes that can be time-consuming and costly to correct.

Before beginning your dissertation, you should consult with your advisor for your department or program’s preferred style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago).

Including material produced by other authors in your dissertation can serve a legitimate research purpose, but you want to avoid copyright infringement in the process. For detailed instructions on avoiding copyright infringement, please see ProQuest’s Copyright Guide .

The University requires that you provide copies of the dissertation to your committee members and exam chair. You should check with your committee members to see if they prefer printed or electronic copies (or both). Printed copies do not need to be printed on heavyweight, expensive paper unless there is the need to do so for figures and images.

Printing and binding a dissertation can be expensive. You can use the Copy Center or FedEx Office to print and bind your dissertation.

In order to register your dissertation, you or your graduate administrator will need to create a record on the Graduate Studies PhD Completion website . This record will include:

Degree information
Past degrees
Contact information
The defense version of your dissertation as a PDF
Other relevant documents

The version of your dissertation attached to your online record is considered the registration copy.

When your PhD completion record is finalized, committee members will receive emails with links to access your record and approve your dissertation to progress to defense. You’ll need to provide copies of the dissertation identical to the registration copy to all members of your committee, including the chair, at least two weeks before the record is finalized. Everyone but the chair is required to comment or sign off on the dissertation before it is submitted.

There may be deadlines for registering your dissertation specific to your program. Consult with your graduate administrator to ascertain those deadlines and follow them carefully.

After all committee members have provided their approval, your thesis will be reviewed by your faculty director/department chair, the AS&E dean of graduate education and postdoctoral affairs, and the office of the University dean of graduate studies. When all of these officials have approved your committee and dissertation for defense, your dissertation is considered registered. You will be able to track these approvals in your online record and will receive a confirmation email when approvals are complete.

The GEPA Office and the AS&E dean of graduate education and postdoctoral affairs, as well as the University Graduate Studies Office, may make corrections to the PDF of your dissertation. This annotated copy of your dissertation, along with the original version, will be stored in the PhD completion website. You are not allow to distribute updated versions of your dissertation prior to the defense, but be sure to incorporate any corrections before uploading your final dissertation to ProQuest®.

After the defense, if the committee has required major revisions to be approved by one or more of its members, it is your responsibility to provide them with the corrected final version for their approval. They will be asked to submit written confirmation of that approval to the University Graduate Studies Office. Failure to do so could delay conferral of your degree.

After the defense, you will receive additional instructions by email for completion of all PhD degree requirements.

It is important to walk into the defense knowing that your committee wants you to pass. Even if criticism is harsh, it is meant to be constructive. The defense is not solely an opportunity for the committee to compliment and congratulate you for the work you have done. It is also meant to challenge you and force you to consider tough questions.

The Defense

The best way to prepare for your defense is to regularly attend the defenses of your colleagues throughout your graduate program, not just several weeks prior to your own defense.

You can also talk to people in your department who already defended to find out what their defenses were like. You should also speak with your advisor to get a sense of his/her specific expectations of a defense.

Guidelines for Presentations

Use PowerPoint or Other Software to Create Slides

You should prepare a presentation of the research that comprises the thesis. Your slides should encapsulate the work and focus on its most salient contributions. In preparing, ask yourself these questions: “What do I want people to know about my thesis? What is the most important information that I can present and talk about?”

Here are some basic tips:

Use text large enough to be read by the audience (especially text from figures)
Ensure graphics and tables are clear
Don’t clutter your slides—if necessary, have things come up on mouse clicks
Use spell check and proofread your slides
Practice your presentation with your peers
Work on pronunciation, if required
Time your presentation to ensure it will fit the allotted time while allowing time for questions

If your defense includes a public lecture, we recommended that you do a trial run a day or two before in the room that has been booked for your lecture. This will allow you to familiarize yourself with the space and the equipment and to address any problems that arise during the trial run.

Plan your public lecture to allow enough time for questions. Present enough information so that the audience understands what you did, why you did it, what the implications are, and what your suggestions are for future research.

Friends and family are welcome to attend your public lecture. Faculty and students in the audience are given the opportunity to ask questions.

Plan to dress professionally for the defense in the same way you would if presenting a paper at a conference or for a job interview. You will be standing for a long time on the day of your defense. You might want to keep this in mind when selecting the shoes you will wear for your defense.

Essentials for your public lecture include:

Your presentation
A laser pointer
A copy of your dissertation
A pen or pencil
A bottle of water

You will be asked to leave the room while your committee reviews your program of study, and decides whether:

The thesis is acceptable/not acceptable
Whether members will ask sequential questions or whether each member will be allotted a specific time period for questioning

The person to start the questioning is designated. You will be called back into the examining room and questioning will begin. After all questions have been addressed, you will be asked to leave the room while your committee decides the outcome of the exam. You will be asked to return to the room to be informed of the outcome by the chair of your exam committee.

Listen to the entire question no matter how long it takes the faculty member or student to ask it (take notes if necessary).
Pause and think about the question before answering.
Rephrase the question.
Answer the question to the best of your ability; if you do not know the answer, remain calm and say so in a professional way.
Remember that no one will know the ins and outs of the thesis and your research materials as well as you. You are the foremost expert in the thesis topic and YOU know the research involved. Be positive!

Possible outcomes include:

Acceptable with minor or no revisions (no further approval required)
Acceptable with major revisions in content or format (in this case, one or more committee members must be responsible for overseeing and approving the major revisions before the final copies are submitted)
Not acceptable

After the Defense

You can submit the final corrected copies of your dissertation as soon as you address any remaining comments that were brought up during the defense or noted in the registration copy of your dissertation, which will be returned to you usually within a few days before or after the defense. You can take up to one semester following the defense to address any comments, during which you can remain a full-time student. Your degree conferral date will depend on when you submit the final corrected copies of your dissertation.

The day after your defense, you will receive an email from the University dean of graduate studies that provides instructions on how to:

Submit the final corrected copies of your dissertation through ProQuest
Provide authorization for the release of your dissertation through UR Research
Complete a mandatory online exit survey
Verify to the University dean of graduate studies’ office that the dissertation has been submitted

The University of Rochester requires all doctoral candidates to deposit their dissertations for publication with ProQuest Dissertation Publishing and with the University libraries. Hard copies are not required. The library receives an electronic copy of the dissertation from ProQuest, but students must give the University permission to obtain it.

For questions regarding publishing through ProQuest, contact Author Relations at [email protected] or (800) 521-0600 ext. 77020.

Check with your graduate administrator to see if your department wants a bound copy of your dissertation, and, if so, how the cost of binding is covered.

If you want a bound copy for yourself or your family, you can purchase one through ProQuest .

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Ph.D. Dissertation Defense: Anton Ratnarajah

ANNOUNCEMENT: Ph.D. Dissertation Defense

Name: Anton Ratnarajah

Professor Dinesh Manocha (Chair)

Professor Carol Espy-Wilson

Professor Ramani Duraiswami

Professor Sanghamitra Dutta

Professor Nikhil Chopra, (Dean's Representative)

Date/Time: Friday, August 23, 2024 at 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Location: AVW 1146 (ISR)

Sound propagation is the process through which sound energy emitted by a speaker travels through the air as sound waves. The room impulse response (RIR) describes this process and is influenced by the positions of the source and listener, the room's geometry, and its materials. Physics-based acoustic simulators have been used for decades to generate high-quality RIRs for specific acoustic environments. However, we have encountered limitations with existing acoustic simulators. For example, they require a 3D representation and detailed material knowledge of the environment.

To address these limitations, we propose three solutions. First, we introduce a learning-based RIR generator that is two orders of magnitude faster than an interactive ray-tracing simulator. Our approach can be trained to be directly controlled using both statistical and traditional input parameters, and it can generate both monaural and binaural RIRs for both reconstructed and synthetic 3D scenes. Our generated RIRs outperform interactive ray-tracing simulators in speech-processing applications, including Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Speech Enhancement, and Speech Separation, by 2.5%, 12%, and 48%, respectively.

Secondly, we propose estimating RIRs from reverberant speech signals and visual cues in the absence of a 3D representation of the environment. By estimating RIRs from reverberant speech, we can augment training data to match test data, improving the word error rate of the ASR system. Our estimated RIRs achieve a 6.9% improvement over previous learning-based RIR estimators in real-world far-field ASR tasks. We also demonstrate that RIR estimation can be utilized for efficient compression of multi-channel audio codecs, significantly reducing the bandwidth of AudioDec by 52% for binaural speech. Our audio-visual RIR estimator aids tasks like visual acoustic matching, novel-view acoustic synthesis, and voice dubbing, validated through perceptual evaluation.

Finally, we introduce IR-GAN to augment high-quality RIRs using real RIRs. IR-GAN parametrically controls acoustic parameters learned from real RIRs to generate new RIRs that imitate different acoustic environments, outperforming Ray-tracing simulators on the Kaldi far-field ASR benchmark by 8.95%.

Audience: Graduate Faculty

August 2024

How did Raygun qualify for the Olympics? Is she really the best Australia has to offer?

By Mawunyo Gbogbo

ABC Entertainment

Topic: Olympic Games

Rachael "Raygun" Gunn did not score a single point at the Paris Olympics. ( Getty Images: Elsa )

Since Australian breaker Rachael "Raygun" Gunn failed to score a single point in any of her Olympic bouts, many have asked how she qualified for the Games.

Fellow breaker and anthropologist Lucas Marie says she won her qualification "fair and square" last year, but African American man Malik Dixon has criticised the Olympic body for letting her in.

What's next?

Breaking will not be an event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games — a decision made before Raygun's performance.

The 2024 Paris Olympics marked breaking's debut as a sport at the global event, with 36-year-old lecturer and breaker Rachael "Raygun" Gunn representing Australia for the first time.

Having failed to win a single point in any of her Olympic bouts, Raygun quickly became a viral sensation.

The question on many people's minds now is: How did she even qualify?

Lucas Marie is a breaker who has competed, performed, taught and judged breaking competitions over the past 25 years. He's also an anthropologist who recently co-authored an article with Gunn.

He says the answer to that question is simple.

A black and white close-up image of Lucas Marie smiling.

Lucas Marie recently co-authored an article with Raygun. ( Supplied )

"There was an Oceania qualifier in which any B-boy or B-girl from Australia [or] New Zealand could enter, and that was in Sydney in October 2023," he told ABC News.

"And leading up to that, there were a lot of other events in which breakers were competing.

"She won those battles fair and square and won the qualification in Sydney.

"And it wasn't really a surprise to anyone.

"She's been fairly consistent, winning or coming second or third at a lot of breaking events in Australia for the last five to 10 years."

Marie said there was nothing out of the ordinary about Raygun's performance.

"It's not like gymnastics where there's this kind of agreed-upon standard," he said.

"It's always had a rawness to it. It's always had an improvisational kind of quality. And I think looking different and trying different stuff has always been celebrated.

"And I think Raygun, in a way, was just expressing a core kind of hip hop trait in a way a lot of breakers do."

He described her efforts as bold.

"I thought — and this is how I judge a lot of breaking events — I thought, 'Oh, she's making some really interesting choices to mimic Australian animals.' And you can kind of see the choices that she's making in the moment."

Is she the best Australia has to offer?

Team Australia chef de mission Anna Meares insisted after Raygun's performance that she was the best breaker the country had to offer. But is this true?

A man in purple pants doing a handstand.

Lucas Marie has competed, performed, taught and judged breaking competitions for more than 25 years. ( Supplied: momentsby.naz )

"It's sometimes just who's performing better on the day," Marie said.

"And at the qualification event in which she won, and other events in which she's won, she performed better on that day and won the ticket.

"That doesn't mean she's the best. It doesn't really work like that.

"I think she's a great breaker. She won the qualification. She's won other events in the past, and she was a good representative for Australia at that competition."

Asked whether there were B-girls in Perth, regional Victoria or rural Brisbane who might have qualified but could not afford to travel to Sydney for the tryouts, Marie agreed this was possible.

"Of course, there's breakers all over the country that maybe should have been in that event, but they weren't."

Breaking will not carry over to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, a decision made before Raygun's battle.

Marie described this as sad.

"Maybe, based on the ratings, they'll reassess that and maybe allocate some medals to breaking," he said.

"I really hope that's the case, and I hope that for other breakers who want to compete in it as a dance sport."

Marie said that at the end of the day people should remember they were dealing with a human.

"As a friend of Rachael's, there's a human being who's getting a lot of negative attention," he said.

"I think people kind of miss that sometimes and forget the human aspect of all this."

'Toying with the culture'

Malik Dixon is an African American who has been living in Australia for more than a decade and is a Sydney University graduate.

He said Raygun made a total "mockery" out of breaking at the Olympics.

A blurry image of Malik Dixon wearing a blue shirt reading "CHAPEL HILL".

Malik Dixon says too many people feel entitled to African American culture. ( Supplied )

"She was dressed like a member of the cricket team or an Australian PE teacher, and from that point it just seemed like satire," Mr Dixon told ABC News.

"It just looked like somebody who was toying with the culture and didn't know how culturally significant it was being the first time in the Olympics and just how important it was to people who really cherish hip hop and one of the elements of hip hop, which is breakdancing.

"It made me think, was Borat her breakdancing coach?"

Mr Dixon said too many people felt entitled to African American culture.

"The African American space has been one where we've shared our community so much and without any restraints, any barriers, roadblocks, obstacles, any gatekeepers, that essentially what should have been African American cultural capital is just shared, which is cool," he said.

"We like to share, right?

"We shared 400 years of free labour.

"To see Rachael in her attempt to be a part of the culture just be grossly underwhelming made it seem like she didn't take it seriously."

Olympics body criticised for Raygun qualification

Mr Dixon criticised the body that qualified Raygun, saying she devalued breaking with her performance.

"Whatever governing body nominated her as Australia's entrant into the Olympics either did not understand the assignment or didn't really believe in the integrity or significance of breakdancing, because if they did they would just say, rather than disrespect the culture, we're just not ready to send an applicant this year."

He said Raygun was extremely audacious and not self-aware.

"You've got to know your role, know your position, know your limitation," he said.

"And I think that part of privilege is saying that there are no limits to what I can do.

"Part of privilege is having the authority to say that there are no limits and there are no requirements, there are no prerequisites to what I can do."

Raygun's degrees do not hold much water with Mr Dixon.

"Due to consumerism, this Foundational Black American product, which is hip hop, is global," he said.

"And even people who have no connection to any African Americans or any local or regional things that come out in these songs, they have become a part of the whole experience now.

"If I came in and said that I was an authority on Greek music and I was going against the grain of what the mainstream Greek musicians thought, or the school of thought, and I've said that I was the authority, people would check me on that.

"If I had a PhD in sprinting, does that qualify me to go against Noah Lyles? No, it doesn't."

He also doubts Raygun was the best breaker Australia had to offer.

"[There's] got to be somebody out here that's better than that! The kangaroo! The sprinkler! She did the sprinkler out there, man!" he said.

Should everybody just lighten up?

Should we lighten up? Mr Dixon does not believe so.

"Larrikinism is used as a get-out-of-jail-free card and to escape responsibility of how words or actions impact a hurt person," he said.

"But when the majority culture is offended, there's no playing around.

"This is a part of my culture, and I don't think Australians are in a place to tell me how I should feel about breakdancing being mocked on an international stage.

"People who don't have any or limited access to black people or hip hop culture now may see Rachael and her buffoonery as a representation of hip hop and black culture.

"People who were already side-eyeing breakdancing as an Olympic sport, Rachael Gunn has put the nail in that coffin.

"This might be the most viral clip of the whole Olympics. From a comedy standpoint, she's got it, but from an Olympics perspective, its regressive."

NIH grant supports PhD student’s study into fear of falling with MS

Aim is to break 'vicious cycle' affecting overall health, life quality

by Esteban Domínguez Cerezo, MS | August 19, 2024

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A person holds handrails while walking, assisted by a therapist.

A grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is supporting a U.S. study into the physical, cognitive, and psychological responses that may underlie a fear of falling in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Specifically, the $96,812 two-year grant by the agency’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development will support a study into factors related to such fears, and the “vicious cycle” that results, in about 40 people with relapsing-remitting MS .

It was given to Taylor Takla, a PhD candidate in the translational neuroscience program at Wayne State University in Michigan, for her project “ Investigating Fear of Falling in Multiple Sclerosis: An Interplay of Neural, Motor, Cognitive, and Psychological Factors .”

“Fear of falling is a major issue for people with MS, leading to serious negative health and quality of life outcomes,” Takla, who plans to become a neuroscientist with a specialty in MS, fear of falling, and fall prevention, said in a university press release . “It’s both a risk factor and a consequence of experiencing a fall.”

MS and gut microbiome pattern similar across US, Asia: Analysis

Fear of falling risks falls by limiting confidence and physical activity.

Balance impairments, muscle weakness, fatigue, and changes in muscle tone are among disease symptoms affecting movement in people with MS. Fear of falling is a major concern, as falls can cause serious injuries, diminish patients’ quality of life, and restrict their independence. A combination of factors , described as personal, environmental, and activity-related in an earlier study, has been suggested as the basis for a fall risk.

Fear of falling is described in the project as “a heightened emotional response to the possibility of losing balance, accompanied by an inclination to avoid such situations.”

It “creates a vicious cycle where individuals become less confident in their balance, reduce their participation in activities, get physically weaker, and experience subsequent increased fall risk and greater fear of falling,” Takla said. “This cycle results in social isolation, psychological distress, and reduced overall well-being.”

Her long-term goal is to help break that cycle, which she reports as affecting 60% of all patients, by both lowering the number of likely falls and increasing physical activity across the MS community.

Takla’s hypothesis is that neural and behavioral factors associated with motor, cognitive, and psychological functioning contribute to a fear of falling, and help to predict a person’s physical activity and falls over time. But the neural factors — those relating to the nervous system — “remain largely unknown,” she stated.

Study to involve mix of brain imaging and assessment tests

Looking to go beyond studies focused on brain regions controlling motor function, she plans to use MRI to image three specific brain areas: the cerebellum, involved in the control of balance and movement; the hippocampus, implicated in memory and learning; and the amygdala, a major processing center for emotions. In the same study visit, patients will undergo motor, cognitive, and psychological assessments to explore balance and walking issues, anxiety, and executive functioning — mental skills that enable planning, focusing attention, remembering, and juggling multiple tasks.

Participants will then be followed for six months to collect data related to their fear of falling, actual falls, and physical activity.

“Through the combination of advanced MRI techniques and a comprehensive evaluation of behavioral functioning, we hope to gain a more complete understanding of the fear of falling and its downstream consequences than by using any single measure alone,” Takla said.

Findings will be analyzed by Takla, a university advisory committee, and experts at the NIH agency.

Takla is being mentored by Nora Fritz, PhD, an associate professor of physical therapy at the university’s Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, who led a recent study into mobility and cognitive function in people with MS.

Takla previously was awarded the Whitaker Prize for Young Investigators at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers 2023 annual meeting for an abstract showing “substantial promise in increasing the understanding of MS.”

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Jake Shane's popularity skyrocketed overnight. So did his anxiety.

For many people scrolling on their phones looking for a reprieve from their day, Jake Shane is spit-out-your-drink, laugh-so-hard-your-stomach-hurts funny – something that has earned him 3.2 million followers on TikTok .

But his more devoted fans have also come to appreciate that the 24-year-old contains multitudes.

"I've had a really hard few weeks. I don't know why," he says over a Zoom call from Los Angeles. "It's the summer blues, I guess. I kind of feel like I'm reaching a breaking point, just full transparency. You know, when you're like on the verge of a breakdown? I don't know if that's what people want to hear, but that is the truth."

People do want to hear it, as Shane's videos – sometimes vulnerable, sometimes hilarious – regularly rack up hundreds of thousands if not millions of views. Not to mention his podcast " Therapuss ," where he acts as an amateur therapist, gabbing with celebrity guests like Charli XCX , Joe Jonas and Saweetie , and doles out advice to faithful listeners. In the process he's shattering expectations and leaning into authentic conversations about mental health; he has both anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder .

"The stigma with mental health has decreased significantly over the past several decades, and I think it's because people are talking about it, particularly celebrities," says Kevin Chapman , founder and director of the Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders .

Shane is embracing his new celebrity identity as he can. "I can't imagine my life doing anything else. I just love entertaining."

'I'm just so scared of it going away'

Shane, like many influencers, went viral practically overnight. He started out rating and reviewing octopus as a food critic a few years ago and has since branched out into creating skits where he reenacts historical events. Last year, he played a founding father frustrated after John Hancock signed the Declaration of Independence (see also Isaac Newton discovering gravity ). Between that and other videos, he went from 60,000 followers to 1 million over the course of a week. Lately, his content also includes dance challenges, Taylor Swift sing-alongs and emotional venting sessions .

Speaking of venting: Recently, his brain has been jumping from worry to worry to worry as his career reaches new heights. " Therapuss " is going on tour this fall across the U.S. and Canada.

"The bigger the podcast gets, the more out of control of my narrative I feel," he says. "And that's really scary to me, and that triggers a lot of anxiety and OCD thoughts."

He's afraid of coming across as ungrateful but insists he's not. "It's frustrating because there will be really, really good things that happen, and I'm so scared of basking in the good moment or being happy , because I'm just so scared of it going away."

'That gives me a lot of anxiety'

Shane is gay, and remembers "being very, very, very, very, very, very anxious about it" at a young age. He told his parents in the fourth grade (who were OK with it) and didn't tell anyone else until high school. Though he's comfortable in his gayness and queerness today, the gay and queer "scene" intimidates him.

"That gives me a lot of anxiety," he says. "Being romantic and intimate with someone gives me anxiety. Getting out there gives me anxiety. I'm not super-comfortable in my own body and self yet, and I think that has to do with me being gay. I don't know exactly how yet, but I know it does."

'One of my favorite people on the planet'

How does Shane calm down during moments of turbulence? He has a breathing alarm that, well, reminds him to breathe; he works out; and he throws himself into a TV show or pop star discography. His latest TV binge: "Girls," which he appreciates for its depiction of OCD.

He also credits his friends , including his three roommates, for being there for him. "I would not be level-headed," he says. "I just wouldn't be fine without them."

Shane also has befriended some celebrities who have guested on his podcast, including "Twisters" star Glen Powell . "Jake is one of my favorite people on the planet," Powell says, "and I’m so proud of the ride he’s on. Obviously he’s America’s sweetheart because he’s sassy, self-deprecating and truly hilarious, but I think why people can’t get enough of him is because he’s just refreshingly honest."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jake Shane (@passthatpuss)

Singer Tate McRae says Shane "really is the same off-camera. He’s also just such a supportive friend and someone I truly count on. He’s always one of the first people I see when I come home from tour to LA. I feel very grateful for him."

6 types of people to keep close. Who should you be spending more time with?

'They just want to feel validated'

You can't help but feel like Shane's friend when listening to his podcast, where listeners submit stories to him about "what's wrong" in their lives, whether it's about their situationship or how to tell their dad he has bad breath. He'll "pusscribe" antidotes to these problems, often in the form of pop culture consumption. Is it actual therapy ? No, and it shouldn't be mistaken for it.

"It's OK if they don't take that advice, because I don't take advice, right?" he says. "It's just sometimes important for someone to hear your problem … like they just want to feel validated."

Of course, if you're looking for meaningful, clinically based answers to your problems, seek a trained therapist. "Normalizing these discussions is vital," says Luis Cornejo , licensed marriage and family therapist, "but it’s equally important to emphasize the difference between raising awareness and providing actual therapeutic support."

CBT is one of the most popular therapies Here's why – and why it might be right for you.

'I've been on defense my entire life'

If you ask Shane "what's wrong" in his own life, you'd probably hear him talk about hateful comments he receives on social media . Popularity begets the good and the bad.

"Sometimes you'll read a comment and it's something someone said to you 10 years ago that you knew personally. And that stings, because it's like, 'Oh my God, you're saying that?" he says. "And someone that knew me also said that, so am I that?' And it's just like, ugh, my God, the worst."

It's reminiscent of Lorde's verse on the remix of Charli XCX's song "Girl, so confusing," off the album " Brat ": "Girl, you walk like a b---- / When I was 10, someone said that / And it's just self-defense / Until you're building a weapon."

Shane wants the lyrics tattooed. "I feel like I'm on defense, and I've been on defense my entire life," he says.

Navigating his 20s, mental health and virality all at once? Sounds as if he's having one heck of a " brat summer ."

Why Iran Has Not Yet Retaliated Against Israel for Hamas Leader’s Killing

Tehran is under pressure to avenge the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, but analysts said it is balancing multiple factors as it weighs a response.

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A crowd of people, some with yellow and other colored flags, near an area with portraits of men.

By Matthew Mpoke Bigg

Published Aug. 12, 2024 Updated Aug. 14, 2024

Iran vowed revenge at the end of last month after a top Hamas leader was killed in Tehran, leading many in Israel to fear an imminent attack. Nearly two weeks have passed and no large-scale response has materialized, leaving Israel and the wider Middle East on edge.

The crisis comes at an especially delicate moment in Iran, which analysts say is trying to formulate a response that doesn’t let an assassination on its soil go unpunished, while avoiding an all-out war against a powerful adversary. It also comes as a new government in Tehran has taken office, which could be slowing a decision on how to respond.

Here’s a look at the crisis and the factors that could determine what happens next:

Why has Iran vowed revenge?

Iran and Hamas officials have promised to avenge the death of Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas leader, who was killed in Tehran on July 31 after he attended the inauguration of Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian. Iran, which backs Hamas, blamed Israel for the assassination. Israeli leaders have not said their forces were responsible.

A day earlier, Fuad Shukr , a senior commander in Hezbollah, which is also supported by Iran, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in a suburb of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. The Israeli government said that strike was in retaliation for a rocket fired from Lebanon that struck a soccer field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, killing at least 12 people, mostly teenagers and children. Hezbollah has denied carrying out that attack.

But Mr. Haniyeh’s killing was seen as the greater blow to Tehran because it took place on Iranian soil. In response, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued an order for Iran to strike Israel directly , according to three Iranian officials briefed on the matter. Failing to follow through on that threat would suggest that Iran’s system of deterrence, built up over years and at great cost, was in fact hollow, analysts said.

Why hasn’t Iran responded yet?

A spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, said that “it is necessary to punish Israel,” echoing comments from other senior Iranian officials. But he also said that “Tehran is not interested in escalating the regional conflicts.”

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Fantasy Football Snake Draft Strategies to Win Your League in 2024

Joe summers | aug 14, 2024.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs with the ball against Kansas City Chiefs safety Mike Edwards (21) during overtime of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NFL season is finally here and it's time to prepare for championship glory in your fantasy football leagues.

As fantasy has become increasingly popular and prevalent, there are numerous strategies players employ to gain an edge on their competition. There's no one guaranteed way to win your league, though players can give themselves a better chance at victory by following some simple guidelines.

Most drafts use a "snake draft" format, reversing the draft order in each round. The first overall pick in the first round will draft last in the second round and so on. If your draft is fast approaching and you aren't yet prepared, keep these strategies in mind to maximize your championship window.

10. Know Your League's Rules

This seems obvious, but there are a surprising amount of different rules in the modern era of fantasy football. Point-per-reception (PPR) leagues are increasingly popular, rewarding an extra point for every catch, while some leagues are half-point PPR or don't give points for receptions at all.

Do quarterbacks receive six points for a TD pass or four? Do players get bonuses for reaching statistical thresholds such as 100 yards rushing or 300 yards passing? How are defenses scored? Can players earn extra points for return yards on special teams?

These are just a few examples, but knowing the answers to those questions can dramatically influence your draft strategy. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the rules before jumping into your draft.

9. Use a Tiered Rankings Draft Strategy

Fantasy football rankings are easy to find, but it's hard to know exactly how to use them. Using a tiered system clarifies tough decisions, particularly in the middle rounds.

If you're on the clock and there are five "Tier 3" wide receivers available but only one running back in the same tier, it could be wise to draft the running back and hope one of the receivers comes back around to you in the next round. Perhaps the receivers are ranked higher individually, but your opportunity cost is greater if you pass on the running back.

Rankings are not gospel. However, they can inform those hard choices and leave you with a stronger team overall, even if you aren't just drafting the highest-rated player on the board each time.

8. Don't Be Afraid to Fill Your Bench Early

Fantasy football drafting is not a race to fill your starting lineup first. Given week-to-week matchups, injuries, and a variety of unpredictable factors, it's overwhelmingly likely that your lineup will change frequently over the course of a season.

If there's a quality wide receiver available that you love but you've already picked your starters, don't feel like you have to draft a tight end or quarterback early just to get one. That could be advantageous, though it all depends on the structure of your team and the players available.

Positions like wide receiver and running back typically require more depth than quarterback or tight end, especially because you start more of them. More can go wrong with injuries or poor performance, so players benefit from loading up at those positions in drafts even if the starting lineup isn't completely full yet.

7. Be Bold With Defense and Kicker

Conventional wisdom suggests waiting until the very last two rounds to draft a defense or kicker. However, fantasy players can gain a huge advantage by drafting the best defense and kicker a round or two early before the rest of the league catches up.

According to FantasyPros' 2023 points data , the Dallas Cowboys' defense/special teams averaged 10.5 points per game last season to lead the position. The Kansas City Chiefs finished 12th at 7.9 points per contest. On average, that's a built-in 2.6-point weekly advantage over one of the top units. If your opponent had an even worse defense/special teams, the discrepancy grows.

Since drafters are typically looking for sleepers in the late rounds anyway, it's unlikely your 14th-round dart throw will provide that kind of weekly edge. Players have to start defenses and kickers anyway, so they might as well give themselves the best possible ones at a small opportunity cost.

It's hard to know exactly which defenses and kickers will lead the league in points. However, targeting kickers on good offenses or in domes is a sound strategy, while defenses with easy schedules and excellent pass-rushers will usually put you ahead of the competition.

6. Target Dual-Threat Quarterbacks

Inspired by two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, dual-threat quarterbacks are quickly becoming the best way to lock down points at a position that can be hard to find value in. Quarterbacks get points for both passing and rushing statistics, so finding a player who can score with his legs can be the difference between you winning and losing your league.

Players like Jackson, Josh Allen, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and even rookie Jayden Daniels all look like values at the position. Pure pocket passers like Tua Tagovailoa or Brock Purdy can still be top-five players, but their margin of error is much smaller than that of rushing quarterbacks.

Case in point: Tua led the NFL in passing in 2023, but he finished as just the QB9 in total fantasy points (dropping to an ugly QB19 on a per-game basis).

A quarterback who throws for only 150 yards but rushes for 60 more and a TD will be more valuable than one who throws for 250 yards but offers nothing with his legs.

5. Strategically Target Depth Based on Starters

This is an inexact science, but knowing your team and the associated risk profiles of each draft pick is vital when filling out your bench. If you use a first-round pick on a high-volume running back, it's wise to draft that player's backup in the mid-to-late rounds to ensure you don't lose out on that value if your first-rounder suffers an injury.

Likewise, injury-prone receivers or tight ends require more caution. Players like Tee Higgins, Cooper Kupp or Christian Watson, who routinely miss games with various injuries, are riskier picks than guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown or Garrett Wilson.

If you draft an injury-prone receiver, be sure to pick up a couple of extra receivers to ensure you're not scrambling if they get hurt again.

4. Trust Your Gut

Fantasy football is an impossible game to perfect. Players are wrong every single week. If you're going to be wrong anyway, you might as well go down with your convictions. Don't be afraid to draft a player early if you truly believe they'll have a breakout year just because the rankings you searched have a different player rated higher.

It's a lot more fun to get a high-upside pick right than it is to trust the rankings and watch someone else reap the benefits of taking your guy.

There's nothing wrong with being all-in on a player you love. Everyone is going to be wrong many times throughout the course of a fantasy season, so trust your gut when making tough decisions.

3. Prepare Yourself to Be Flexible

Especially near the end of your drafts, prepare yourself to be flexible early in the season and active on the waiver wire. Rams WR Puka Nacua was available in most leagues on the waiver wire after Week 1 in 2023, and he became the single biggest breakout player of the season.

If you aren't willing to quickly drop a player to chase upside on the wire early on, you may miss out on someone who could wind up winning your league.

From Kyren Williams to Amon-Ra St. Brown to Nacua to Rashee Rice to Sam LaPorta, there are numerous examples every year of players available late or even on the waiver wire who can transform your entire season. Be strong in your convictions but flexible enough to adjust when new information presents itself.

2. Pay Attention to Other Rosters

When you're drafting, you can start to guess what positions your opponents will target in the draft based on who they've already drafted. For example, if the five teams before your next pick are all set at running back but don't have a quarterback, it's probable that at least one quarterback will go off the board.

You can use these opportunities to find values. In that example, perhaps you take your favorite quarterback and start a run, letting a quality running back fall back around to you while your opponents try to fill their starting lineup.

Conversely, you can predict how and when runs will begin using the same strategy. Taking your opponents' rosters and flipping the odds in your favor is a fantastic way to ensure you maximize the value of each pick.

1. Target High-Volume Offenses

At its core, fantasy football is a statistics game. Points are derived from the box score, so you need as many shots on goal as possible to give your players the best chance at success. Efficiency isn't king, volume is.

Consider what teams typically play at a fast pace and have the most plays to give yourself an edge. According to TeamRankings' 2023 data , the Cleveland Browns led the NFL by averaging 69.8 plays per game. It's no surprise that players like Amari Cooper and Jerome Ford became league-winners given all of that opportunity.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Tennessee Titans ranked 31st with 58.9 plays per game. Targeting offenses that have more plays gives your players more chances to compile stats, plain and simple.

There is no one "perfect" way to draft a fantasy football team. That said, using these strategies will give you a higher chance at success. You can't necessarily win your league in the draft but you can certainly lose it. Stay flexible and stay active throughout the year, then you just might be raising that trophy once it's all said and done.

Looking for more preparation for your draft? SI has you covered with everything you need in our 2024 fantasy football draft kit.

JOE SUMMERS

Ukraine says it kept its plans for the Kursk offensive secret even from the Pentagon. Here's why.

Zelenskyy said that he kept the Kursk offensive under wraps even from allied nations.
The Ukrainian president pushed back on Western doubts about unconstrained Ukrainian assaults.
Analysts say he may have also been mindful of past leaks of Ukrainian plans.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent a defiant message to Ukraine's allies on Monday about why the Kursk offensive was kept under wraps, even from them.

Zelenskyy spoke as the incursion entered its third week, saying that Ukraine controlled 91 settlements and almost 500 square miles of territory in the western Russian region.

The operation's planning was kept a secret from the West because "many representatives of the international community would have said that it was unrealistic and it crossed Russia's main red line," Zelenskyy said, according to Ukrainska Pravda's translation .

He added that it had destroyed the "whole naive illusory concept of Russia's so-called red lines, which prevailed in some partners' assessment of the war."

Others, however, have also pointed to the secrecy as an effort to avoid leaks, which were partly blamed for the failure of last summer's Ukrainian offensive.

Zelenskyy had a point to prove

The tight operational security around the Kursk assault is remarkable for both political and military reasons.

The fact that the operation managed to keep a buildup of soldiers and heavy equipment at the Russian border largely under wraps has caused commentators to reassess an apparent truism of the Ukraine war: that in the age of drone warfare, everything and everyone is under surveillance.

But Zelenskyy's comments also speak of another area of concealment — this time from his closest allies.

Throughout the war, Western military aid has been offered conditionally and in fits and spurts over fears of provoking Russia into escalating the conflict.

The White House did eventually greenlight some uses of its weapons on Russian soil, but with distinct limitations.

A fear of leaks?

Sergej Sumlenny, founder of the European Resilience Initiative Center think tank, told Business Insider that the success of the Kursk attack so far "was possible only because Ukraine has not informed anyone in the West about the plans."

He pointed to a skirmish last year in Russia's Belgorod region, when there was an unconfirmed report of a pro-Ukrainian group using a US-supplied Humvee.

The incident — minor by comparison to the Kursk incursion — caused an uproar, he said.

"The whole Hill went nuts," he said, and the US quickly moved to distance itself from the incident .

Sumlenny said that another rationale for Zelenskyy's unwillingness to share intel on the Kursk offensive is also likely to be rooted in operational security.

He reasoned that the massive Pentagon leak of April 2023 exposed a wide range of information about Ukraine's planned counteroffensive.

That operation flopped , at the cost of many Ukrainian lives.

Months later, Zelenskyy said that the plans "were on the Kremlin's table before the counteroffensive actions began."

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would prepare several plans to improve the security around future operations.

And though Zelenskyy didn't mention this in Monday's announcement, it appears those leaks have been top of mind with his inner circle recently.

Atlantic Council nonresident fellow Vladislav Davidzon, writing for Tablet Magazine , quoted an unnamed highly-placed member of Zelenskyy's team as saying: "We have learned some very hard lessons from the events of the previous counteroffensive.

"Last summer we told everyone what we were going to do and we all know how that turned out," the official continued. "Everyone knew what we were going to do and in which location we intended to strike."

In his Monday comments, Zelenskyy took a victory lap over the Kursk operation, arguing that it proved the success of a bold approach.

"When our Ukrainian defenders act like this, decisively and bravely, and when the operation is indeed well-prepared, Putin has no choice," he said.

Zelenskyy added: "And now the world sees that it is realistic, that it really works."

Watch: Zelenskyy says Ukraine will lose the war without help from the US

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The Day Before Your Dissertation Defense and How to Survive It
How I Really Feel About My PhD Defence: PhD Vlog
Worst PhD defense ever
master thesis defense structure
Preparing For A Viva Voce (Dissertation Defence)
chaospet » Archive » #173 The Horror of the Oral Dissertation Defense

COMMENTS

My PhD defense is next week and I am having negative thoughts about my
Been through that for my PhD and did very well, your anxiety is normal. Prepare a very good and detailed defense presentation: I suggest you organise it as follows: (list from my PhD supervisor Veronica Orvalho) Problem statement, very short and clear; teaser video of what you have done that supports the problem statement you previously defined
Fear of failing my defense : r/AskAcademia
Reply. Miles-away2007. •. The chances of failing a PhD defense, as many others mentioned, are extremely low. It is normal to feel like preparing your defense means frantically "studying" as many topics as possible to cover all possible questions, which makes it feel like there won't ever be enough time to prepare.
How to Successfully Defend Your Dissertation & Not Have a Nervous
Here are a few tips for the day of: Don't have too much caffeine. You're already going to be hyped up and pumped full of adrenaline. Have your normal morning cup of coffee/tea and then cut yourself off. Try to schedule your defense earlier in the day (you don't want to be waiting around all day). Dress to impress.
Panicking hard about thesis defense in two days : r/PhD
A subreddit dedicated to PhDs. Panicking hard about thesis defense in two days. Hi all, I am about to defend my PhD in a public discussion on Friday (this is customary in Scandinavia) and I am panicking so hard. Thesis defense is a huge ceremony in which the entire PhD project culminates. In practice the thesis is already accepted as it has ...
What are the common mistakes PhD candidates make in their final defense
Where I did my PhD it was even further to the side you describe. Before the defense one gets an email with a formal letter attached stating that the thesis has been approved (i.e. stating that the work is worthy of a PhD). Essentially the only way to fail at the defense is if it turns out you did not do the work yourself. -
From Nerves to Triumph: Your Personal Guide to Dissertation Defense
In short, your defense presentation is nothing to be scared of. You are lined up for defense because both you and your committee feel you know your stuff, and now all you need to do is share what you've produced and learned and engage people in discussion about it. ... A PhD herself, she has coached and supervised first-generation, ESL, and ...
Defending Your Dissertation: A Guide
The first thing you should know is that your defense has already begun. It started the minute you began working on your dissertation— maybe even in some of the classes you took beforehand that helped you formulate your ideas. This, according to Dr. Celeste Atkins, is why it's so important to identify a good mentor early in graduate school.
The Last Big Hurdle: How to Prepare for a Successful PhD Defence
Have a hard copy of your thesis on hand during the defence. It's much faster to flip to a physical page when asked about a particular section of the text. If this really isn't for you, be sure you have a quick way to move through pages on your computer. Eat and drink the same things you normally would on the day of your defence.
13 Tips to Prepare for Your PhD Dissertation Defense
1. Start Your Preparations Early. Thesis defense is not a 3 or 6 months' exercise. Don't wait until you have completed all your research objectives. Start your preparation well in advance, and make sure you know all the intricacies of your thesis and reasons to all the research experiments you conducted. 2.
(PDF) Planning and Passing Your PhD Defence: A Global ...
tips from former PhD stude nts and super visors, this book. unpacks the principles and unwritten rules underpinning. the defence. Addressing planning and preparing for the. doctoral defence, and ...
PhD Defence Process: A Comprehensive Guide for 2024
The PhD defence, also known as the viva voce or oral examination, is a pivotal moment in the life of a doctoral candidate. PhD defence is not merely a ritualistic ceremony; rather, it serves as a platform for scholars to present, defend, and elucidate the findings and implications of their research. The defence is the crucible where ideas are ...
My defense is in a month and I am terrified (excuse my vent ...
View community ranking. My defense is in a month and I am terrified (excuse my vent, please send love) I am working on writing my thesis and I will defend in about a month. I have constant anxiety. I don't trust the work I did. It feels mediocre or incomplete or insignificant and I feel like an impostor. I feel like I've been hiding how ...
Why You Shouldn't be Scared of Your Thesis Defense
Time in graduate school can seem like it stretches on forever: all those never-ending classes, exams, long experiments, time courses, lab meetings, conferences, departmental talks, etc… And yet, I've noticed that graduate students are scared, nay terrified, of their thesis defense! What should be the happy, proud culmination of years of research, hard work, and…
Defending a PhD thesis like a boss!- an in-depth Guide
The process of PhD thesis defense starts with the general introduction of experts followed by the presentation session. A candidate has to present their thesis in a PowerPoint presentation, keynotes or google slides. 10 to 20 minutes are alloted to present the work in 15 to 25 slides. Soon after, experts ask questions related to research.
Preparing for your PhD thesis defence
Even if your thesis defence seems far away, there are several planning considerations you can consider early on to help the end stages of your PhD go smoothly. On this page you will find videos, tools, and information about what the PhD thesis defence is, timelines for the PhD thesis defence, and tips for a successful PhD thesis defence.
How to prepare an excellent thesis defense
How to prepare for a thesis defense quick guide. Check with your department about requirements and timing. Re-read your thesis. Anticipate questions and prepare for them. Create a back-up plan to deal with technology hiccups. Plan de-stressing activities both before, and after, your defense.
phd
Yes, a good examiner will read the thesis line by line. There are five possible outcomes from the examination of a thesis. Accepted without corrections. Minor corrections - generally textual changes only - 3 month time limit. Major corrections - might involve some reanalysis, but no new experiments - 6 month time limit.
Of monsters and mentors: PhD disasters, and how to avoid them
As a PhD supervisor myself, I recognise that it is a learning process for every academic. I'm supervising a new cohort of students who started after several of my students completed their PhDs. I can see now that having insights into the PhD trajectory (and not just your own) is very important to plan ahead, including career and publication plans.
Preparing for a PhD Defense
Nominate a Faculty Member to Serve as Chair for Your Defense. A chair is appointed for each PhD oral defense to monitor and promote fairness and rigor in the conduct of the defense. To help eliminate pre-established judgments on the candidate's work, the chair should be from a different program/department than the student.
Ph.D. Dissertation Defense: Anton Ratnarajah
ANNOUNCEMENT: Ph.D. Dissertation Defense . Name: Anton Ratnarajah. Committee: Professor Dinesh Manocha (Chair) Professor Carol Espy-Wilson. Professor Ramani Duraiswami . Professor Sanghamitra Dutta. Professor Nikhil Chopra, (Dean's Representative) Date/Time: Friday, August 23, 2024 at 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Has anyone had a bad defense? (Failed or otherwise gone wrong?)
To begin with, the PI is a notorious hard ass in defense. My own one with him lasted 2.5 hours for a two hour master's defense. This poor lady had a post doc help her with the stats who didn't know anything. Ran ANOVA tests without replications, means with one data point, etc. Anyway, come the defense the PI finds out and starts tearing her and ...
PhD candidate Christopher Lopez triumphs on thesis defense
Congratulations to PhD candidate Christopher Lopez, who successfully defended his thesis, "Studies on cellular and humoral immunity elicited by Influenza A virus infection and vaccination," on June 28, 2023. ... There, he delved into the study of resident memory T cells, learning how the best offense is a good defense and, to his dismay, that T ...
How did Raygun qualify for the Olympics? Is she really the best
The 2024 Paris Olympics marked breaking's debut as a sport at the global event, with 36-year-old lecturer and breaker Rachael "Raygun" Gunn representing Australia for the first time.
NIH grant supports PhD student's study into fear of falling with MS
A grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is supporting a U.S. study into the physical, cognitive, and psychological responses that may underlie a fear of falling in people with ...
Congratulations to PhD candidate Josh Goheen on his successful PhD
Josh is a Ph.D. student in Cognitive Science under the supervision of Dr. John Anderson, Ph.D. and Dr. Georg Northoff (The Royal Mental Health Centre).
Who is Jake Shane? TikTok influencer on mental health
He's afraid of coming across as ungrateful but insists he's not. "It's frustrating because there will be really, really good things that happen, and I'm so scared of basking in the good moment or ...
Why Iran Has Waited to Retaliate Against Israel for Hamas Leader's
Iran vowed revenge at the end of last month after a top Hamas leader was killed in Tehran, leading many in Israel to fear an imminent attack. Nearly two weeks have passed and no large-scale ...
Super scared of PhD defense : r/PhD
The mock defense should be organized only after your understand how the defense will be conducted. This step is optional as it requires people with minimum experiences. If you are not used to public speaking, just remember that fear instantly melt away when we start speaking. Keep a glass of water to calm down during the defense.
Fantasy Football Snake Draft Strategies to Win Your League in 2024
Don't Be Afraid to Fill Your Bench Early. ... According to FantasyPros' 2023 points data, the Dallas Cowboys' defense/special teams averaged 10.5 points per game last season to lead the position ...
Why Zelenskyy Kept Ukraine's Kursk Offensive Under Wraps Even From US
Ukraine's partners "are afraid of Russia losing the war" and only want Ukraine to win "in such a way that Russia does not lose," he said, according to the Kyiv Independent.