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最近的博士学位.D. 一位学生分享了他对北卡大学的看法，并描述了他对北卡大学的感受 网上论文答辩.

I grew up in Colorado, and after graduating from high school in 2007, I 开始了n undergraduate 他是科罗拉多一所大型大学心理学专业的教授. 我一直很喜欢学习 人操作. 我在那个项目上待了三个学期才做出决定 那时候我还不适合上大学. 相反，我完成了我的副学士学位 at Front Range Community College and obtained an EMT-B and pre-paramedic certificate 并开始志愿为救护车服务.

I suppose I was still interested in how 人操作, but now from the perspective 解剖学和生理学，而不是心理学. 大约一年之后，我决定 I did, in fact, want to complete my bachelor’s degree, so I transferred to UNC and 开始了 进化和生态生物学课程. I finished my bachelor’s in a few 年, including a semester of studying abroad in South Korea, making my entire undergraduate 'adventure' last approximately seven 年.

起初，我并没有考虑读研. 然而，我开始在我的顾问， Dr. Ann Hawkinson的实验室 as an undergraduate, and she suggested I continue in higher 教育. 2015年春天，我在皇冠app官方版下载开始了这个项目. 尽管我进入了 作为一名硕士生，我转学到博士学位.D. 节目中途.

My research involves examining the immune response during viral infection. 更具体地说, I use comparative rodent models (deer mice and golden hamsters) to try and understand how different immune responses (on the molecular level) may influence the outcome 临床疾病. 从本质上讲，我进入这类研究纯属偶然 而作为一名本科生在博士工作. Hawkinson的实验室.

Dr. 霍金森博士. Patrick Burns在设计和执行上都给了我很大的帮助 以及对我的研究项目的分析. 在整个体验过程中，他们不断地 questioned my methodology to ensure that my approach utilized sound experimental design 坚持科学探究的基本范式. 可以肯定的是，他们 weren’t the only faculty that helped in the process; however, in regard to all of the faculty who provided their advice and guidance along the way, there was an underlying theme of always working to maintain the utmost rigor and scholarship achievable given 我所拥有的时间和资源. 随着时间的推移，我开始欣赏这种职业道德 比计划中其他任何事都重要.

The possibility that I might have to defend my dissertation online didn’t really become 直到科罗拉多州宣布进入紧急状态. 在那之前 was talk about the potential for classes being moved online following spring break, although I somehow never thought this might apply to how I 将 be delivering my 论文答辩. 也许我当时的精神状态有点脱节——我 recovered from multiple colds earlier in the semester and was pushing myself to the limit trying to finish the dissertation document before my self-imposed deadline of 我的31岁生日.

When it was finally determined that I 将, in fact, be giving a virtual defense, and that no one 将 be able to attend (other than my roommates), I was admittedly 一开始有点气馁. 信不信由你，我第一个担心的其实不是 have to do with the use of technology (and whether technology 将 be fully cooperative 当轮到我为自己辩护的时候). 相反，我关心的是是否 I’d be held to the same standards everyone else in my shoes 将 be – i.e. 将 I be “let off easy” as a consequence of these unprecedented circumstances.

As this was my first 论文答辩, I’m actually really not sure what it’s 应该是那天的感觉! 当然了，我猜大家的情绪很复杂， likely predominated by anxiety and uncertainty, that fluctuate as the exact time to 防卫越来越近. 我确实还能感觉到.

I invited family and friends, and later our former administrative support assistant 向生物系的邮件服务发送了邀请. 我想有个朋友发了 还有脸谱网上的链接. 是极速送的，我不确定具体有多少 viewers ended up attending, but I think it was greater than 100 for the majority of 表示.

I do think there are a few silver linings to focus on with the movement of my (and others) defenses online, one major one being the ability for many additional people 去“参加”原本无法参加的活动. 我知道我有几个朋友 family members from different cities or states watching, which was really awesome. I definitely didn’t expect there to be more than 100 viewers, but I’m elated it happened 这种方式!

Because of 新型冠状病毒肺炎 there have been a number of unfortunate plan cancellations, not 再提一下日常生活方式的半激进变化. 我也教实验作为教学 assistant for UNC (microbiology and human physiology), so experiencing the transition of moving those classes online has been an interesting learning curve (and I want to give a serious shout-out to all of the faculty that had to contend with this, likely for multiple classes, and likely without the same familiarity with technology as their 学生).

Both of my classes were delivered through Canvas – we did what we could to include the best resources available for students without necessitating that they purchase 任何新材料或订阅. 我们通过Zoom或微软提供办公时间 Teams, but otherwise allowed the students to work through self-guided lab exercises using a problem-based learning (PBL) or case study-style approach whenever possible.

However, I also want to highlight a slightly different perspective, which is that 实际上有 很多 of positive benefits that have evolved from these changes we are currently experiencing. Namely, as we have, in many ways, slowed down as a society, the Earth has had a chance 治愈. Likewise, I believe that many of us have had a chance to also heal as individuals 无论是精神上的还是身体上的.

Quarantine can be difficult, no doubt, perhaps even more so if you must be in complete 隔离. 然而，它也可以是一个自我反省和自省的时间. 它可以 be a time to reduce the physical demands of your body that become so second-nature 在典型的忙碌生活方式的“喧嚣”中. 这可能是一个机会 connect or reconnect with people that you never knew as well or have lost touch with 以前你抽不出时间的时候. 当然，它可以让你真的 appreciate some of those little things that you may have taken for granted.

Near the beginning of the semester I decided that I 将 like to move to Denver after graduating to live with my grandmother, who has been developing some signs of Alzheimer’s 在过去的几年里. 在那里，我可以根据需要帮助她，并找工作 in the immediately surrounding areas, hopefully finding something rooted in science 但更多的是针对环境的. 我之前提到过我喜欢 learn about how humans operate, but my true link to studying biology is my innate 热爱大自然. 话虽如此，未来的计划还是有点悬而未决 现在，我相信它们对我们所有人来说都是如此. 我真的很喜欢这种新方法 只是日复一日地接受它.

——泰勒·谢尔曼(泰勒谢尔曼)， 20岁，博士.D.

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