Dissertation defense traditions: Vaughan, Cossairt, and Khalil groups

Submitted by Diana Knight on
Two people wearing nitrile gloves and surgical masks touch a globe with their index fingers
Lightning Wisdom Transfer from Min Yen Lee ’20 (left) to Chenyi Mao ‘21 (right)
Two people touch a globe with their index fingers
Lightning Wisdom Transfer from Chenyi Mao ‘21 (left) to Marcus Woodworth ‘23 (right, in fake pain)

What are your group’s dissertation defense traditions?

Lauren Gagnon holds a larger mortarboard cap on her head. The cap is decorated with lights and other figurines.

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).

Nine bottles of Cointreau lined up on a shelf

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.

Three dozen bottles of wine on a shelf

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.
 

See also Dissertation defense traditions: Keller group

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