PhD student number 23 successfully defends

Yesterday, Lauren Burcaw successfully defended her PhD thesis, "Multi-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance methods in the inhomogeneous magnetic field". Her external examiners were Mark Conradi (University of Washington, St Louis) and Pat Langhorne (Otago University). Here she is with partner Rob at the post oral celebration in the quirky Wellington bar, Hashigo Zake. Lauren came to us from Penn State University where she completed her first degree in physics, before spending some time working at Schlumberger-Doll research.

Lauren and Rob are heading back to the US soon where Rob will work as an engineer and Lauren will take a job as an MRI physicist.

Lauren is my 23rd PhD student. Next to defend his thesis is Brad Douglass, student number 24. His thesis is with the examiners and we expect to have the oral in September after I get back from the UK.

PS: Lauren's completion has special significance for me. On Thursday 27 November, 2008, Lauren gave her 1st year PhD seminar to the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences. I was supposed to introduce her and chair the seminar. That morning I had experienced abdominal pain and stayed in bed, completely forgetting my obligation. At around 11-30 am Mark Hunter rang to remind me. I got out of bed and drove in, arriving just on the dot of 12 noon. By this stage the pain was severe. I managed to complete my task, then I drove home in a dazed state, hardly believing how painful my abdomen was. At 5-30 pm Miang arrived home and insisted she take me to the emergency doctor in Newtown who immediately diagnosed a bowel blockage. By 7 pm I was at the Accident and Emergency Department. By Friday morning my bowel tumour had been discovered. On the morning of Saturday 29 November, I underwent emergency surgery. So began my adventure with cancer.