What are your group’s dissertation defense traditions?
Vaughan Group
Professor Joshua C. Vaughan:
We do a Doktorhut (German-style “doctor hats” or mortarboard) decorated with memorabilia, miniature interpretations of research papers, sculptures of volcanoes, and blinking lights. These are lots of fun. (Lauren Gagnon '19 is pictured above.)
We also do a "lightning wisdom transfer" from each successive graduate student to the next using a plasma ball. The ball then sits on the (anticipated) next graduating student's desk. (See photos in slideshow.)
Sometimes we host special events. We held a scavenger hunt for Lauren Gagnon '19 where each group member made interactive puzzles which required Lauren to conduct a campus-wide search to solve the clues doing data analysis. It took her about 90 minutes, and it was pretty cool! For Marcus Woodworth '23, we put together a surprise concert with a band comprised of lab members that also featured Marcus's co-adviser Professor Hao Yuan Kueh of UW Bioengineering on keys (available on YouTube).
Cossairt group
Brandi Cossairt, Lloyd E. and Florence M. West Endowed Professor of Chemistry:
We get together in a conference room immediately after the defense to celebrate with margaritas. Everyone signs the bottle of Cointreau that went into the margaritas (instead of a Champagne bottle, which is commonly done); I have quite a collection at this point! Every group member signs a UW t-shirt for the PhD candidate, and we put together a group present that is unique to the graduating student's interests and next steps. They are fun celebrations.
Khalil group
Munira Khalil, Chair and Leon C. Johnson Endowed Professor of Chemistry:
We celebrate with Champagne or bubbly and display the empty bottles in the group office. Each bottle is signed and dated by the graduating student.