Dissertation Defense

The following steps are meant to help you begin thinking about your defense, dissertation, and eventually graduation. Please contact the Student Services Office if you have any questions about the process or requirements.

Planning Your Dissertation Defense

Steps for planning your defense.

Meet with your committee and determine a date and time. Some faculty travel extensively, so it is a good idea to start this process early.

Once you have a confirmed time, contact the Student Services Office. They will help in booking rooms for both the public and closed door sessions.

Tip : Some faculty travel extensively, so it's a good idea to start this process early. Room reservations can also be tricky depending on the time selected. The more notice you can provide, the more likely one of your top choices for rooms will be available.

Your chair must be someone outside of the department who is an Academic Council member. Your Oral Examination Committee must have a total 5 members including the University Chair. If you need help finding one, your advisor and other committee members should be able to help. University policy regarding chairs and your committee can be found in the  Stanford Bulletin .

Deliver a draft of your dissertation to each of your committee members 30 days prior to your defense. Some committee members may prefer just an emailed draft, however others may prefer a paper copy so be sure to check on preferences of each of your committee members!

Bring your University  Oral Examination Form  to the Student Services office (Gilbert 118 or via email) at least 2 weeks before your defense. The Student Services Office will bring this back to you or your advisor at your defense.

If you’d like the Student Services Office to create and post flyers for your defense, please send them a picture to use and your title 2 weeks before your defense.

Following your defense, please turn in the University Oral Examination Form to the Student Services Office as soon as possible.

Dissertation Submission

Submit your dissertation.

The following needs to be done, in order, to complete the dissertation submission process:

Visit the e-dissertation/thesis center in Axess  

This is often your advisor, but can be any Academic Council member on your committee. They will need to log in to Axess and approve your dissertation before the deadline once you’ve uploaded your dissertation.

Turn in your signed signature page and title page to the Student Services Center at Tresidder (see the guidelines PDF for formatting instructions).

Signatures must be actual ink signatures on acid-free paper.  Only your reading committee should be included on your signature page. Do NOT include your defense chair or any committee members only present for the defense.

Upload and submit your dissertation.

This  video  that will walk you through the upload process.

Guidelines for formatting, etc.

Registrar’s Office site for all dissertation information

Submission Deadlines

The entire process must be complete and dissertation approved by the Registrar’s Office by the following deadlines: Autumn Quarter 2021 – Friday, December 7, 2021 at 12:00pm Winter Quarter 2022 – Friday, March 19, 2022 at 12:00pm Spring Quarter 2022 – Wednesday, June 4, 2022 at 12:00pm Summer Quarter 2022 – Friday, August 27, 2022 at 12:00pm

Be sure that you also apply to graduate in the quarter you’re submitting! To file your application through Axess: Select "Apply to Graduate" from the drop down menu on the Student Center Academics tab and complete the entire application to graduate process.

Capstone and thesis submission (undergraduate honors, master's)

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There’s a forever home for your capstone, honors thesis, or master’s thesis—archived in the Stanford Digital Repository and accessible online via SearchWorks, the library catalog. It’s free and the process takes just a few minutes.

Start your deposit today  

Who is eligible

  • Stanford undergraduate students who have produced a senior capstone project, honors thesis, or similar culminating work are welcome.
  • Stanford master’s students outside of the School of Engineering who have written a thesis may deposit their work.
  • The Stanford Digital Repository (SDR) is a service available to all Stanford students, faculty, and staff who produce research, scholarly works, or institutional records of long-term value. 

What to expect

  • Once you log in, look for the name of the capstone or thesis collection on your dashboard. (Don’t see it on the dashboard? Check with your program contact to request depositor access to the collection.)
  • After you submit, your deposit may be queued for review and approval. If so, you will receive a notification when the review is completed. On approval, your deposit will be available online at a persistent URL (PURL) and will be findable in SearchWorks, too.
  • Go ahead and share your PURL with your friends and family, and add it to your resume, too!

Watch this brief overview video demonstrating how to deposit your work into the SDR.

More helpful resources

  • Dissertation and thesis submission (PhD, JSD, DMA, engineering master's)  
  • Guide to student publishing
  • Directory of student works collections in the SDR
  • SDR services website

Questions? 

Reach out to the SDR team by email .

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Stanford Dissertation Fellowships

The Stanford Humanities Center and the School of Humanities and Sciences collaborate to administer two Stanford humanities dissertation fellowships: the Stanford Humanities Center Dissertation Prize and Mellon Foundation Dissertation Fellowships. Stanford students submit one application to be considered for one or both of these fellowships. Applicants for these fellowships are typically in the 5th or 6th year of their doctoral program.

(You can find more information about the Stanford Humanities Center Next Generation Scholar fellowships, which are open to students in year 7 or above only,  linked here .)

Applications for 2024–2025 fellowships are now closed.

Eligible applicants may apply to the SHC Dissertation Prize/Mellon Dissertation fellowships  or  Next Generation Scholar fellowship, but not  both  NGS and DP/Mellon in the same application cycle. 

Fellowship Opportunities

The SHC Dissertation Prize Fellowships, endowed by Theodore and Frances Geballe, are awarded to doctoral students whose work is of the highest distinction and promise. The fellowship stipend includes three academic quarters of funding (fall/winter/spring). In 2023-24 the funding amount was $38,700; the exact amount for 2024-25 will be announced pending final budget confirmation by January 2024. The recipients of these fellowships have offices at the Humanities Center and take part with other graduate as well as undergraduate and faculty fellows in the Center's programs, promoting humanistic research and education at Stanford. The SHC Dissertation Prize Fellowships also provide an additional $2,000 in research funding.

The Mellon Dissertation Fellowships, which are generously funded by the Mellon Foundation, are awarded to advanced doctoral students whose work is of the highest quality and whose academic record to date indicates a timely progression toward completion of the degree. The fellowship stipend includes three academic quarters of funding (fall/winter/spring). In 2023-24 the funding amount was $38,700; the exact amount for 2024-25 will be announced pending budget confirmation in January 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

The SHC Dissertation Prize and Mellon Dissertation Fellowships are awarded to advanced graduate students, based on accomplished work of the highest distinction, and on the promise of further outstanding achievements in the humanities. Applicants must have:

  • advanced to candidacy;
  • completed all requirements for the doctoral degree with the exception of the dissertation and the University Oral Examination (when a defense of the dissertation);
  • an approved dissertation reading committee;
  • a dissertation proposal approved by their committee;
  • a strong likelihood of completing the degree within the tenure of the fellowship;
  • reached TGR status by the beginning of autumn quarter of the fellowship year;
  • completed supervised teaching, if required by their department, before the tenure of the fellowship.
  • Outside employment must be aligned with university policy and approved by the home department (including the Humanities Center for SHC fellowships). Please be in close contact with your home department, H&S office, and/or the SHC before confirming any teaching assistantships or accepting other employment or fellowships.
  • SHC DP fellows are expected to take part in the daily life of the Center for the duration of their fellowship (i.e. attend lunches and weekly seminars). Next Generation fellows are encouraged but not required to be in regular physical residence at the Center.
  • Mellon fellowship: there is no on-campus requirement akin to the expectations for SHC fellows. However, Mellon dissertation fellows are subject to University residency expectations and departmental residency requirements—i.e., having a Mellon does not exempt a student from these residency expectations.
  • Applicants who have previously held one of these fellowships are not eligible to reapply for that same fellowship.
  • Applicants who have not previously held a Stanford dissertation fellowship will be given the most serious consideration.
  • SHC Dissertation Prize Fellowships are open to applicants from the School of Education.
  • The fellowships provides tuition support at the TGR rate regardless of whether a student has moved to TGR status. If the student is not yet TGR at the start of the fellowship, the department may provide supplemental funds to cover tuition shortfall.
  • Students who are TGR or in a graduation quarter status must enroll in the appropriate zero unit TGR course.
  • These fellowships awards are not deferrable to future years or to the summer quarter  

Applications must be submitted via our online application system and must be in English. Access to the system opens in the fall quarter and closes on February 4, 2024, 11:59 PM Pacific time. We discourage the submission of additional materials with the application and cannot circulate these to the committee or return such materials.

Applicants will be notified when their applications have been received, and will be notified of the fellowship competition outcome in late March/early April.

  • Contact and biographical information about the applicant
  • A curriculum vitae (C.V.)
  • Current unofficial transcript (download from AXESS)
  • Detailed timetable for the completion of the degree (e.g. dissertation outline detailing status of each chapter)
  • Statement of the dissertation’s scholarly significance: Provide a concise explanation of the ways in which the project is a significant contribution to its area of study. Assume the audience to be academics who are not specialists in the field. (250 word maximum)
  • A brief description (no more than 1,000 words) of the dissertation
  • Two reference letters - one should be from the applicant’s advisor: Please ensure that faculty recommenders have reviewed the proposal and timetable (including status of chapters) in advance and are well prepared to discuss this in their letters. Referees are encouraged to submit letters through our online application system. Referees who wish to submit their letter of reference via email may send them to  [email protected] . Reference letters must be received at the Center by the application deadline - consideration of letters received after that date cannot be guaranteed.

A selection committee representing humanities departments and programs will review and rank the applications on the basis of the following criteria:

  • the evidence of intellectual distinction;
  • the quality and precision of the dissertation proposal;
  • the applicant's timely progress toward the degree;
  • the likelihood of completing the degree within the tenure of the fellowship;
  • in the case of SHC applicants, the likelihood of the applicant contributing to, as well as benefiting from, the programs of the Humanities Center.

For more information contact  Kelda Jamison , the Humanities Center fellowship program manager.

The application deadline for 2024-25 will be 11:59 pm Pacific time, February 4, 2024.

For more frequently asked questions, click  here .

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Stanford has made strong strides in its efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, which are critical to its success, university leaders detailed during a Campus Conversation focused on the IDEAL Initiative on Wednesday.

Campus Conversation 2/16/22

Discussing Stanford’s IDEAL initiative during a Campus Conversation on Wednesday were (top left to right) President Marc Tessier-Lavigne; Provost Persis Drell; Patrick Dunkley, vice provost for institutional equity, access and community and executive director of Stanford’s IDEAL and racial justice initiatives; (bottom left to right) Shirley Everett, senior associate vice provost for Residential & Dining Enterprises and senior advisor to the provost on equity and inclusion; and Matt Snipp, vice provost for faculty development, diversity and engagement. (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

They added, however, that more work is needed, as indicated in the results of the campus-wide 2021 IDEAL DEI Survey on Campus Climate , which reflects serious issues around harassing and discriminatory behaviors impacting Black, Latinx, disabled and LGBTQ communities in particular.

“Advancing diversity, supporting equity, inclusion and access is really, really important to Stanford. The success of our teaching and research missions depends on it. Our future excellence depends on it,” said Provost Persis Drell. “If we can [create] positive change in this area, we will make Stanford better for everyone.”

Drell noted that DEI values are being infused into every aspect of campus, including the planning of the new school on climate and sustainability that is currently being developed.

However, DEI and racial justice work requires the commitment of everyone in the Stanford community, not just from leadership and marginalized communities, said Patrick Dunkley, vice provost for institutional equity, access and community and executive director of Stanford’s IDEAL and racial justice initiatives.

Dunkley cautioned that there’s a lot of work yet to be done and acknowledged that marginalized communities who have long been advocating for change feel that the campus is not changing quickly enough.

“We have to keep in mind that the things we are trying to change are issues and conditions and behaviors that have existed for years, and the process is going to take time,” Dunkley said. Leaders must give the community reasons to believe that substantial progress is being made as this work continues through action and transparency, he added.

Dunkley said he was encouraged by the increased dialogue on these issues since the DEI Survey results were announced, building on the institutional commitment needed for change.

Change in faculty

Matt Snipp, vice provost for faculty development, diversity and engagement , highlighted the various activities that his office, which is a service unit in the President and Provost’s Office, is engaged in, including writing workshops, supporting organized faculty interest groups and offering advice to search committees.

Last year, Stanford launched two significant efforts to advance faculty diversity: the Race in America cluster hire of 10 faculty members – including four in STEM fields – and the IDEAL Provostial Fellows. The first cohort of five fellows arrived in September, and a second cohort is expected to be announced soon.

Stanford is also providing incentive programs to encourage the hiring of diverse faculty, which can include minority scholars, women scholars and those who would bring additional dimensions to the university’s research and teaching programs. The number of minority faculty members has increased from 436 in 2011 to 638 in 2021. In the past year, there were 21 appointments involving diverse faculty, Snipp said.

Additionally, following a national search, Lerone A. Martin, associate professor of religious studies and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor, became the faculty director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute in January , Snipp noted.

Supporting staff

Shirley Everett, senior associate vice provost for Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) and senior advisor to the provost on equity and inclusion, spoke about two IDEAL Staff Advisory Committee initiatives.

The IDEAL Learning Journey is a comprehensive staff learning program focused on building awareness and skills needed to change behaviors.

“We want participants to gain a common understanding of how discrimination and microaggressions can occur and to apply those learnings to transform our workplace culture so that each staff member feels respected and valued,” Everett said.

Also, the committee aims to pilot a standardized and redesigned approach to recruiting staff that can serve as a model for others across campus.

R&DE includes a diverse team of more than 800 full-time employees, many of whom commute long distances from communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic and effects of racial trauma, Everett said.

To support its diverse staff, R&DE offers innovative educational programs such as the Stepping Stones to Success program .

“They are extraordinary people who provide service excellence to our students and the Stanford community each day,” she said. “During this pandemic, we were fortunate to keep our staff employed.”

Stanford’s alumni and philanthropic supporters are galvanized by this work, Tessier-Lavigne said, and the Office of Development has been working hard to raise support for Long-Range Vision initiatives like IDEAL.

With their partnership, Stanford has created endowed directorships and programming funds for the ethnic community centers. The university is also in conversation with supporters about other areas of this work, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute, the Racial Justice Center in the Law School and the faculty cluster hires.

“Their enthusiasm for this work is important, not only to provide funding for these initiatives in our current moment, but because philanthropy, alongside with institutional investment, will help provide enduring financial support and make sure that these efforts will be a part of our university for the long term,” Tessier-Lavigne said.

Tessier-Lavigne also expressed Stanford leadership’s support of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), which have faced serious threats recently, including a series of bomb threats in the last few weeks.

“We condemn these efforts to intimidate Black Americans in these important institutions of higher education,” Tessier-Lavigne said. “HBCUs are centers for learning, culture and advocacy for the Black community and for our nation as a whole.”

Tessier-Lavigne urged the community to engage in some of the Black History Month events and conversations taking place on campus, many of which are listed on the Black Community Services Center website.

During the question-and-answer session, a community member shared an instance in which they said no further efforts were made to address microaggressions after they were reported to human resources and asked how staff can believe Stanford wants to improve.

Fall 2020 conversations with Black staff as well as DEI Survey results reflect this frustration and lack of faith in the system, Drell said. Echoing Tessier-Lavigne’s response, she said this is “unacceptable” and encouraged people to elevate complaints if they feel nothing is happening.

“This is something we have to do better at,” and that starts with acknowledging the issue, she said.

Dunkley added that efforts are underway to address such occurrences, including a group working on how to create a better reporting process with more safeguards and accountability.

Another person asked whether managers will go through the IDEAL Learning Journey first, given the DEI Survey data on their role in problematic behavior. Everett said while the goal is for all staff to participate, priority will be given to managers so they can start to reduce or mitigate these issues.

Dunkley invited those who want to get involved in IDEAL initiatives or have concerns to reach out to him directly so they can be best connected to resources.

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Opinion Guest Essay

This Is Peak College Admissions Insanity

Credit... Illustrations by Pete Gamlen

Supported by

By Daniel Currell

Mr. Currell, a lawyer and consultant, was a deputy under secretary and senior adviser at the Department of Education from 2018 to 2021. He is a trustee of Gustavus Adolphus College.

  • May 1, 2024

Selective college admissions have been a vortex of anxiety and stress for what seems like forever, inducing panic in more top high school seniors each year. But the 2023-24 admissions season was not just an incremental increase in the frantic posturing and high-pressure guesswork that make this annual ritual seem like academic Hunger Games. This year was different. A number of factors — some widely discussed, some little noticed — combined to push the process into a new realm in which the old rules didn’t apply and even the gatekeepers seemed not to know what the new rules were.

It happened, as these things often do, first gradually and then all at once.

It started with a precipitous rise in the number of people clamoring to get in. The so-called Ivy-Plus schools — the eight members of the Ivy League plus M.I.T., Duke, Chicago and Stanford — collectively received about 175,000 applications in 2002. In 2022, the most recent year for which totals are available, they got more than 590,000, with only a few thousand more available spots.

The quality of the applicants has risen also. In 2002, the nation produced 134 perfect ACT scores ; in 2023 there were 2,542 . Over the same period, the United States — and beyond it, the world — welcomed a great many more families into the ranks of the wealthy, who are by far the most likely to attend an elite college. Something had to give.

The first cracks appeared around the rules that had long governed the process and kept it civilized, obligating colleges to operate on the same calendar and to give students time to consider all offers before committing. A legal challenge swept the rules away, freeing the most powerful schools to do pretty much whatever they wanted.

One clear result was a drastic escalation in the formerly niche admissions practice known as early decision.

Then Covid swept through, forcing colleges to let students apply without standardized test scores — which, as the university consultant Ben Kennedy says, “tripled the number of kids who said to themselves, ‘Hey, I’ve got a shot at admission there.’” More applications, more market power for the schools and, for the students, an ever smaller chance of getting in.

Last year, the Supreme Court’s historic decision ending race-based affirmative action left colleges scrambling for new ways to preserve diversity and students groping in the dark to figure out what schools wanted.

Finally, this year the whole financial aid system exploded into spectacular disarray. Now, a month after most schools sent out the final round of acceptances, many students still don’t have the information they need to determine if they can afford college. Some will delay attending, and some will forgo it entirely, an outcome that will have lasting implications for them and, down the line, for the economy as a whole.

These disparate changes had one crucial thing in common: Almost all of them strengthened the hand of highly selective colleges, allowing them to push applicants into more constricted choices with less information and less leverage. The result is that elite admissions offices, which have always tried to reduce the uncertainty in each new year’s decisions, are now using their market power to all but eliminate it. This means taking no chances in pursuit of a high yield, the status-bestowing percentage of admitted students who enroll. But low uncertainty for elite colleges means the opposite for applicants — especially if they can’t pay the full tuition rate.

Canh Oxelson, the executive director of college counseling at the Horace Mann School in New York, says: “This is as much uncertainty as we’ve ever seen. Affirmative action, the FAFSA debacle, test-optionality — it has shown itself in this one particular year. Colleges want certainty, and they are getting more. Families want certainty and they are getting less.”

In 2024, the only applicants who could be certain of an advantage were those whose parents had taken the wise precaution of being rich.

An illustration showing one student buried under a huge pile of books and another playing football while holding some books under his arm.

The Early Bird Gets the Dorm

For Ivy Wydler, an elite college seemed like an obvious destination, and many of her classmates at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C., were headed along the same trajectory. After her sophomore year of high school, she took the ACT and got a perfect score — on her first try, a true rarity. Her grades were stellar. So she set her sights high, favoring “medium to big schools, and not too cold.”

Touring campuses, she was dazzled by how great and exciting it all seemed. Then she visited Duke, and something clicked. She applied in the binding early decision round.

It’s a consequential choice. Students can do so at only one college, and they have to promise to attend if accepted, before knowing what the school’s financial aid offer will be. That means there is at least a chance an applicant will be on the hook for the full cost, which at Duke is $86,886 for the 2024-25 year. Students couldn’t be legally compelled to attend if they couldn’t afford it, but by the time they got the news, they would have already had to withdraw their other applications.

If full tuition isn’t a deal killer, as it wouldn’t be for Ivy’s family, the rewards are considerable. This year, just over 54,000 high school seniors vied to be one of only 1,750 members of Duke’s incoming class. The 6,000 who applied in the early decision round were three times as likely to get in as the 48,000 who applied later.

Until recently, early decision was a narrow pathway — an outlier governed, like the rest of this annual academic mating season, by a set of mandatory practices laid out by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, which is made up of college admissions officers and high school counselors. Those rules said, for example, that colleges couldn’t recruit a student who was already committed to another school or actively encourage someone to transfer. Crucially, the rules said that colleges needed to give students until May 1 to decide among offers (noting early decision, which begins and ends in the fall, as a “recognized exception”).

The Justice Department thought those rules ran afoul of the Sherman Antitrust Act, which bars powerful industries from colluding to restrain competition. At the end of 2019, NACAC agreed to a settlement mandating that the organization “promptly abolish” several of the rules and downgrade the rest to voluntary guidelines. Now, if they chose to, colleges had license to lure students with special offers or benefits, to aggressively poach students at other schools and to tear up the traditional admissions calendar.

At that point, nothing restrained colleges from going all in on early decision, a strategy that allows them to lock in students early without making any particular commitments about financial aid. Of the 735 first-year students that Middlebury College enrolled last year, for example, 516 were admitted via binding early decision. Some schools have a second round of early decision, and even what amounts to an unofficial third round — along with an array of other application pathways, each with its own terms and conditions.

With the rules now abandoned, colleges got a whole new bag of tricks. For example, a school might call — at any time in the process — with a one-time offer of admission if you can commit on the spot to attend and let go of all other prospects. Hesitate and it’s gone, along with your chances in subsequent rounds. “We hear about colleges that are putting pressure on high school seniors to send in a deposit sooner to get better courses or housing options,” says Sara Harberson, the founder of Application Nation, a college advising service.

To inform these maneuvers, colleges lean on consultants who analyze applicant demographics, qualifications, financial status and more, using econometric models. High school seniors think this is checkers, but the schools know it’s chess. This has all become terrifying for students, who are first-time players in a game their opponents invented.

Application season can be particularly intimidating for students who, unlike Ivy, did not grow up on the elite college conveyor belt. When Rania Khan, a senior in Gorton High School in Yonkers, N.Y., was in middle school, she and her mother spent two years in a shelter near Times Square. Since then she and her younger brother have been in the foster system. Despite these challenges, she has been a superb student. In ninth grade, Rania got an internship at Google and joined a research team at Regeneron, a biotechnology company. She won a national award for her study of how sewage treatment chemicals affect river ecosystems. Looking at colleges, she saw that her scores and credentials matched with those of students at the very top schools in the country.

One of the schools she was most drawn to was Barnard. “I like that it’s both a small college and” — because it’s part of Columbia — “a big university. There are a lot of resources, and it’s a positive environment for women,” she said. And it would keep her close to her little brother.

Barnard now fills around 60 percent of its incoming class in the early decision round, giving those students a massive admissions advantage. It would have been an obvious option for Rania, but she can’t take any chances financially. She applied via the general decision pool, when instead of having a one in three chance, her odds were one in 20.

Officially, anyone can apply for early decision. In practice it’s priority boarding for first-class passengers.

Unstandardized Testing

When selective colleges suspended the requirement for standardized testing, it didn’t really seem like a choice; because of the pandemic, a great many students simply couldn’t take the tests. The implications, however, went far beyond mere plague-year logistics.

The SAT was rolled out in 1926 as an objective measure of students’ ability, absent the cultural biases that had so strongly informed college admissions before then. It’s been the subject of debate almost ever since. In 1980, Ralph Nader published a study alleging that the standardized testing regimen actually reinforced racial and gender bias and favored people who could afford expensive test prep. Many educators have come back around to regarding the tests as a good predictor of academic success, but the matter is far from settled.

Remarkably, students still take the exams in the same numbers as before the pandemic, but far fewer disclose what they got. Cindy Zarzuela, an adviser with the nonprofit Yonkers Partners in Education who works with Rania and about 90 other students, said all her students took the SAT this year. None of them sent their scores to colleges.

These days, Cornell, for example, admits roughly 40 percent of its incoming class without a test score. At schools like the University of Wisconsin or the University of Connecticut , the percentage is even higher. In California, schools rarely accept scores at all, being in many cases not only test-optional, but also “test-blind.”

The high-water mark of test-optionality, however, was also its undoing.

Applicants tended to submit their scores only if they were above the school’s reported median, a pattern that causes that median to be recalibrated higher and higher each year. When Cornell went test-optional, its 25th percentile score on the math SAT jumped from 720 to 750. Then it went to 760. The ceiling is 800, so standardized tests had begun to morph from a system of gradients into a yes/no question: Did you get a perfect score? If not, don’t mention it.

The irony, however, was that in the search for a diverse student body, many elite colleges view strong-but-not-stellar test scores as proof that a student from an underprivileged background could do well despite lacking the advantages of the kids from big suburban high schools and fancy prep schools. Without those scores, it might be harder to make the case .

Multiply that across the board, and the result was that test-optional policies made admission to an elite school less likely for some diverse or disadvantaged applicants. Georgetown and M.I.T. were first to reinstate test score requirements, and so far this year Harvard, Yale, Brown, Caltech, Dartmouth and Cornell have announced that they will follow. There may be more to come.

The Power of No

On Dec. 14, Ivy got an answer from Duke: She was rejected.

She was in extremely good company. It’s been a while since top students could assume they’d get into top schools, but today they get rejected more often than not. It even happens at places like Northeastern, a school now ranked 53rd in the nation by U.S. News & World Report — and not long ago, more than 100 slots lower than that. It spends less per student on instruction than the Boston public schools .

“There’s no target school anymore and no safety school,” says Stef Mauler , a private admissions coach in Texas. “You have to have a strategy for every school you apply to.”

Northeastern was one of the 18 other schools Ivy applied to, carefully sifting through various deadlines and conditions, mapping out her strategy. With Duke out of the picture, her thoughts kept returning to one of them in particular: Dartmouth, her father’s alma mater. “My mom said, ‘Ivy, you love New Hampshire. Look at Dartmouth.’ She was right.” She had wanted to go someplace warm, but the idea of cold weather seemed to be bothering her less and less.

Meanwhile Rania watched as early decision day came and went, and thousands of high school seniors across the country got the best news of their lives. For Rania, it was just another Friday.

A Free Market in Financial Aid

In 2003, a consortium of about 20 elite colleges agreed to follow a shared formula for financial aid, to ensure that they were competing for students on the merits, not on mere dollars and cents. It sounds civilized, but pricing agreements are generally illegal for commercial ventures. (Imagine if car companies agreed not to underbid each other.) The colleges believed they were exempt from that prohibition, however, because they practiced “ need-blind ” admissions, meaning they don’t discriminate based on a student’s ability to pay.

In 2022, nine current and former students from an array of prestigious colleges filed a class-action antitrust lawsuit — later backed by the Justice Department — arguing that the consortium’s gentlemanly agreement was depriving applicants of the benefits of a free market. And to defang the defense, they produced a brilliant argument: No, these wealthy colleges didn’t discriminate against students who were poor, but they sure did discriminate in favor of students who were rich. They favored the children of alumni and devoted whole development offices to luring the kinds of ultrarich families that affix their names to shiny new buildings. It worked: Early this year, Brown, Columbia, Duke, Emory and Yale joined the University of Chicago in conceding , and paying out a nine-figure settlement. (They deny any wrongdoing.) Several other schools are playing on, but the consortium and its rules have evaporated.

This set schools free to undercut one another on price in order to get their preferred students. It also gave the schools a further incentive to push for early decision, when students don’t have the ability to compare offers.

For almost anyone seeking financial aid, from the most sought-after first-round pick to the kid who just slid under the wire, the first step remained the same: They had to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, or FAFSA.

As anyone knows who’s been through it — or looked into the glassy eyes of someone else who has — applying for financial aid can be torture at the best of times. This year was the worst of times, because FAFSA was broken. The form, used by the government to determine who qualifies for federal grants or student loans, and by many colleges to determine their in-house financial aid, had gotten a much-needed overhaul. But the new version didn’t work , causing endless frustration for many families, and convincing many others not even to bother. At mid-April, finished FAFSA applications were down 29 percent compared with last year.

“The FAFSA catastrophe is bigger than people realize,” says Casey Sacks , a former U.S. Department of Education official and now the president of BridgeValley Community and Technical College in West Virginia, where 70 percent of students receive federal funds.

Abigail Garcia , Rania’s classmate and the 2024 valedictorian of their school, applied to in-state public colleges as well as Ivies. She couldn’t complete the FAFSA, however, because it rejected her parents’ information, the most common glitch. She has financial aid offers from elite schools, all of which use a private alternative to the government form, but she can’t weigh them against the public institutions, because they are so severely delayed.

For most students, 2024’s FAFSA crisis looks set to take the uncertainty that began last fall and drag it into the summer or beyond. “That’s going to reduce the work force in two to four years.” Ms. Sacks says. “FAFSA completions are a pretty good leading indicator of how many people will be able to start doing the kinds of jobs that are in highest demand — registered nurses, manufacturing engineers, those kinds of jobs.”

As the FAFSA problem rolls on, it could be that for the system as a whole, the worst is still to come.

Can Any of This Be Fixed?

On the numbers, elite college applicants’ problems are a footnote to the story of college access. The Ivy-Plus schools enroll less than 1 percent of America’s roughly 15 million undergraduates . If you expand the pool to include all colleges that are selective enough to accept less than a quarter of applicants, we’re still talking about only 6 percent of undergraduates. The easiest way to alleviate the traffic jam at the top is to shift our cultural focus toward the hundreds of schools that offer an excellent education but are not luxury brands.

Luxury brand schools, however, have real power. In 2023, 15 of 32 Rhodes scholars came from the Ivies, nine from Harvard alone. Twenty of this year’s 38 Supreme Court clerks came from Harvard or Yale. If elite colleges’ selection process is broken, what should we do to fix it?

Here’s what we can’t do: Let them go off and agree on their own solution. Antitrust law exists to prevent dominant players from setting their own rules to the detriment of consumers and competitors.

Here’s what we won’t do: Legislate national rules that govern admissions. Our systems are decentralized and it would take a miracle for Congress not to make things worse.

But here’s what we can do: Hold the schools accountable for their processes and their decisions.

Institutions that receive federal funds — which include all elite colleges — should be required to clearly state their admissions criteria. Admissions as currently practiced are designed to let schools whose budgets run on billions of taxpayers dollars do whatever they want. Consider Stanford’s guidance to applicants: “In a holistic review, we seek to understand how you, as a whole person, would grow, contribute and thrive at Stanford, and how Stanford would, in turn, be changed by you.” This perfectly encapsulates the current system, because it is meaningless.

Colleges should also not be allowed to make anyone decide whether to attend without knowing what it will actually cost, and they should not be allowed to offer better odds to those who forgo that information. They should not offer admissions pathways tilted to favor the rich, any more than they should offer pathways favoring people who are white.

It just shouldn’t be this hard. Really.

The Envelope Please …

Ivy has the highest academic qualifications available inside the conventional system, and her family can pay full tuition. Once upon a time, she would have had her pick of top colleges. Not this year.

Over the course of the whole crazy admissions season, the school she had come to care about most was Dartmouth.

Along with the other seven Ivies, Dartmouth released this year’s admissions decisions online on March 28, at 7 p.m. Eastern. Ivy was traveling that day, and as the moment approached, she said, “I was on the bed in my hotel room, just repeating, ‘People love me for who I am, not what I do. People love me for who I am, not what I do.’”

She was rejected by Duke, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Columbia and the University of Southern California, where Operation Varsity Blues shenanigans could once guarantee acceptance but, as Ivy discovered, a perfect score on the ACT will not. She landed on the wait list at Northeastern. She was accepted by Michigan and Johns Hopkins. And Ivy was accepted at both her parents’ alma maters: the University of Virginia and Dartmouth, where she will start in September.

For Rania, the star student with an extraordinary story of personal resilience, the news was not so good. At Barnard, she was remanded to the wait list. Last year only 4 percent of students in that position were eventually let in. N.Y.U. and the City University of New York’s medical college put her on the wait list, too.

A spot on a wait list tells applicants that they were good enough to get in. By the time Rania applied to these schools, there just wasn’t any room. “It was definitely a shock,” she said. “What was I missing? They just ran out of space — there are so many people trying to get into these places. It took two weeks to adjust to it.”

She did get lots of other good news, a sheaf of acceptances from schools like Fordham and the University at Albany. But then came the hardest question of all: How to pay for them? Some offered her a financial aid package that would leave her on the hook for more money than undergraduates are allowed to take out in federal student loans. Even now, some colleges haven’t been able to provide her with financial aid information at all.

Rania had all but settled on Hunter College, part of the City University system. It’s an excellent school, but a world away from the elite colleges she was thinking about when she started her search. Then at almost the last moment, Wesleyan came through with a full ride and even threw in some extra for expenses. Rania accepted, gratefully.

For Rania, the whole painful roller coaster of a year was over. For so many other high school seniors, the year of broken college admissions continues.

Daniel Currell, a lawyer and consultant, was a deputy under secretary and senior adviser at the Department of Education from 2018 to 2021. He is a trustee of Gustavus Adolphus College.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .

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Unsettled Identity Negotiations: The Armenian Diaspora in Krasnodar Krai

Profile image of Ulrike  Ziemer

This chapter, based on ethnographic fieldwork, explores cosmopolitanism through the prism of unifying and dividing processes and their impact on the identity of young Armenians living within the Armenian community in southern Russia's Krasnodar krai. The empirical research presented shows the ways in which cosmopolitan practices allow young Armenians to draw selectively on a variety of discursive cultural meanings, enabling them to combine sameness and difference into their everyday lives. Sameness is understood in terms of belonging to the Armenian diaspora – a discourse of unity that is encouraged by Armenian voluntary organizations and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Conversely, difference is the result of diverse narratives of migration, different places of origin and different dialects of Armenian language which all serve to form a hierarchy of power within the Armenian diaspora in Krasnodar krai.

Related Papers

Vahe Sahakyan

This essay complicates dominant discourse(s) on Armenian diaspora by exploring the concepts of 'ethnic' and 'diasporic' leadership in theoretical and comparative perspectives.

stanford dissertation deadline

Nationalities Papers

Dmitry Chernobrov

In this paper, we explore the role of the early 20 th century Armenian genocide and the unresolved Karabakh conflict of the 1990s in identity among the new generation of Armenian diaspora-those who grew up after the establishment of the independent Armenian state in 1991. We draw on original interviews with diasporic youth in France, the United Kingdom and Russia-diasporas which were largely built in the aftermath of the genocide and the Karabakh war. Diaspora youth relate to these events through transmitted collective memories, but also reconnect with the distant homeland's past and present in new ways as they engage with new possibilities of transnational digital communication and mobility. Their experiences of identity shed light on how the new generation of diasporic Armenians defines itself in relation to the past; how this past is (re)made present in their interpretations of the Karabakh conflict and in everyday behaviors; and how diasporic youth experience the dilemmas of 'moving on' from traumatic narratives that for a long time have been seen as foundational to their identity.

Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism

Ulrike Ziemer

... awareness of multi-locality amongst diasporic peoples stimulate a constant process of formulating and reformulating diasporic representations. ... Long-Distance Nationalism: Diasporas, Homelands and Identities. ... 'Citizenship and Identity: Living in Diasporas in Post-War Europe?. ...

My dissertation explores the conditions and actions that led to the transformation of a post-genocide Armenian dispersion into a transnational diaspora. Over time, banishment and mistreatment had forced large numbers of Armenians to abandon their ancestral homes in the Ottoman Empire. The most decisive manifestation of such displacement was the deportations and wholesale massacres during WWI, retrospectively defined as genocide, which resulted in large concentrations of survivors in the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Using histories of Armenian communities and institutions, the Armenian language periodical press, and the information acquired through in-depth interviews with notable diaspora Armenians in Lebanon, France and the United States, I analyze the formative impact that changing international and host-country specific socio-political conditions have had on the ways in which Armenian elites and institutions defined and redefined their attitudes towards Soviet Armenia; how competing discourses on conceptions of the Armenian homeland, diasporic identities and incompatible ideologies and orientations towards Soviet Armenia clashed and led at once to the emergence of different forms of Armenian identity and to a transnational schism in the Armenian diaspora. I suggests that while genocide recognition after the fiftieth anniversary of the Armenian genocide in 1965 introduced a shared ground between the formerly hostile Armenian camps, by the mid-1980s, the prevailing institutional divisions produced homeland-centered and diaspora-centered paradigms of diasporic belongings. Throughout, my research considers the ways in which institutions and leaders aspired to forge and project transnationally coherent, aspirational Armenian identities, to which they worked to rally their constituencies, and juxtaposes these efforts to the actual subjectivity and fluidity of Armenian diasporic identities and self-images of subsequent generations, shaped under different host-country contexts. My study draws on theoretical and methodological principles developed in diaspora studies, transnationalism and globalization. It contributes to social constructivist perspective in diaspora studies by stressing the role of elites and institutions in the formation of the post-genocide Armenian diaspora and diasporic identities, and equally emphasizing the influences of changing international and host-country conditions and the policies of a state, projecting itself as the homeland.

Ethnic and Racial Studies

Tsypylma Darieva

... And, to what extent does an imagined ethnic patriotism create space for generating a new cosmopolitan sensibility and sociability among young people who look for new ways of identifying ... The many faces of cosmo-polis: border thinking and critical cosmopolitanism'. ...

Journal of Eurasian Studies

Nona Shahnazarian

Cultural-Historical Psychology

Maria Bultseva

The article considers whether support for multicultural ideology by the ethnic majority leads to a more inclusive sociocultural context for ethno-cultural minorities. We investigate the role of common superordinate identity in these relations on the example of Soviet identity in Armenia. A socio-psychological survey was conducted among 213 representatives of the ethnic majority of Armenia using the scale of multicultural ideology of J.W. Berry (2020), the scale of Soviet identity by K. Velkova (2020) and the scale of the permeability of social boundaries as adapted by M.R. Ramos et al. (2016). The results show that support for multicultural ideology by Armenians is positively associated with the permeability of social boundaries for Russians only if the Soviet identity is highly important for Armenians. To conclude, recategorization is influential for building inclusive sociocultural context and harmonizing intercultural relations.

Hamazasp Danielyan , Nina Kankanyan , Varak Sisserian

Preserving Armenian identity in Lebanon and in those countries where traditional Armenian diaspora institutions exist has been much easier than in Russia. Given the fact that Russia is hosting the largest number of ethnic Armenians? it is utterly important to understand the root-causes and implications for high degree of assimilation of Armenians in Russia? Naturally many factors weigh in the above-mentioned divergent outcomes of Armenians identity preservation in various countries. A big portion of these factors is predetermined by the realities of particular host country (political system, history and geography and etc), and are beyond the influence of Armenian communities of both Lebanon and Russia. However, the research conducted in these two countries showed, there are also factors that influence identity preservation that are within the scope of influence of Armenians. This research sets to claim that the existence of effective and interconnected web of institutions is one of the key reasons behind the success of Lebanese Armenians in keeping their identity strong and thriving. On the contrary, the lack of such sustainable institutions and the experience of sporadic mobilizations have been the characteristic features of the Russian Armenian communities. Based on the lessons learned from the experience of Lebanese Armenians institutions the research has developed a set of policy recommendations that can hopefully enhance the capacity of Russian Armenian institutions and increase the effectiveness of identity preservation efforts in Russia. Some of those recommendations, naturally, are targeting those institutions that exist in various Armenian communities of Russia. Consolidation of Armenian institutions and synchronization of their activities, as well as experience sharing within and beyond Russian Armenians, will positively affect identity preservation efforts among Armenian communities in Russia. However, taking into account the importance of the matter as well as the existing structures and opportunities, (re)organization and institutionalization of Russian Armenians should attract greater attention of the other actors as well; pan-Armenian institutions such as Armenian Apostolic Church and pan-diasporic organizations should do more to assist the efforts of Armenians residing in Russia. Most importantly the Armenian state should have more proactive role in mediating the existing grievances, mistrust and lack of institutional resources in Russian Armenian communities, especially taking into account the fact that there are a number of state institutions mandated with that task, Ministry of Diaspora being the main one.

In this article, we explore the role of the early 20th-century Armenian genocide and the unresolved Karabakh conflict of the 1990s in identity shaping among the new generation of Armenian diaspora—those who grew up after the establishment of the independent Armenian state in 1991. We draw on original interviews with diasporic youth in France, the United Kingdom, and Russia—diasporas that were largely built in the aftermath of the genocide and the Karabakh war. Diaspora youth relate to these events through transmitted collective memories, but also reconnect with the distant homeland’s past and present in new ways as they engage with new possibilities of transnational digital communication and mobility. Their experiences of identity shed light on how the new generation of diasporic Armenians defines itself in relation to the past; how this past is (re)made present in their interpretations of the Karabakh conflict and in everyday behaviors; and how diasporic youth experience the dilemm...

EVN Report Magazine, 6 (Spyurk/Diaspora)

The article foregrounds the complexities of diasporas, and the Armenian diaspora in particular, by briefly examining three conspicuous approaches to diaspora conceptualizations in theoretical and comparative studies of diasporas and the empirical realities of the Armenian diaspora. It is suggested as a conclusion to account both the discrepancies within theoretical and comparative studies of diasporas which complicate the conventional thinking and approaches to diaspora, and also the tensions between homeland-centrism/diaspora-centrism, ethnic/transethnic, Armenian speaking/non-Armenian speaking, religious/secular (and other) which exist within and across segments of the Armenian diaspora.

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stanford dissertation deadline

Oil refinery blazes in Krasnodar Krai

I n the Krasnodar Krai, an oil refinery is on fire. Residents heard explosion sounds before the fire broke out, according to the Telegram channel Astra.

According to rescuers, the fire occurred around 2 a.m.

"According to the ESS (Emergency Situations Service) of the Siversky district, around 2 a.m. on February 9, a fire broke out at the Il'sk oil refinery," the regional operational headquarters reported.

The fire has been extinguished at present. There are no casualties as a result of the fire.

"By 3 a.m., open burning was promptly extinguished by the plant's services. There are no casualties. Emergency and rescue services are continuing their work at the scene to complete the elimination of the emergency and determine the causes of the incident," rescuers reported.

Fires in Russia

Earlier, we reported on a fire in a residential building in Moscow, which affected an area of over 4,000 square meters.

We also mentioned an explosion on a gas pipeline in Perm Krai, Russia, on February 8, resulting in a fire and casualties.

Additionally, on February 7, a fire broke out at a precast concrete plant in Belgorod, Russia. Authorities in Russia described it as a strike.

In the Krasnodar Krai, an oil refinery is ablaze (photo: GettyImages)

Ph.D. in Education: Curriculum and Instruction

This emphasis area is for students interested in developing expertise in teaching and teacher education, curricular development and implementation, subject specific areas (e.g., English, social studies, science, mathematics, and other areas), and/or issues in pre-K through college education.

Develop evidence-based, real-world solutions that will empower your students

Admission deadlines.

Applications and all associated documents must be received by the following dates to be considered. Fall Semester: July 1 | Spring Semester: Oct. 1.

About Our Program

This emphasis area is for students interested in developing expertise in teaching and teacher education, curricular development and implementation in subject and/or grade specific areas (e.g., English, social studies, elementary, secondary), and/or issues that reach across education. Individuals pursuing this degree may go on to pursue careers as researchers and teacher educators, become advanced teachers or instructional coaches within schools, or become curriculum specialists working in a variety of contexts. Courses will be selected from the student’s area of focus and can address any of the following areas:

  • Curriculum and assessment theory & development
  • Discipline or grade-level specific focus
  • Teacher education and leadership
  • Advanced pedagogical development
  • Cross-categorical courses and special topics courses may also be selected in consultation with your advisor

All questions regarding application and admission may be directed to Dr. Jennifer Mahon, doctoral program coordinator, at [email protected] .

Request More Information

Program information.

The Curriculum & Instruction area of emphasis is guided by the general framework found in the  Doctoral Program in Education Application Handbook . The manual provides general information about doctoral concentrations offered in the College of Education. This page will provide you with specific information that is unique to the C&I Program.

  • Undergraduate and Graduate GPA 3.00 (university requirements)
  • Preference for applicants who hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited institution in an area appropriately related to education. High achieving applicants who possess only a Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution will be considered. Emphasis of prior degree area(s) should be appropriately related to education.
  • Program application form (included in COEHD doctoral application manual)
  • Complete vita/resume
  • Sample of scholarly writing
  • Essay of intent - should include qualifications for completing a doctoral degree and reasons for pursuing the degree
  • International Studies: TOEFL score of 550 (unless you have a college degree from a U.S. institution)
  • Three letters of recommendation from professionals qualified to judge potential for success in doctoral work
  • Preferred: at least three years teaching or commensurate experience

All questions regarding application and admission may be directed to Dr. Jennifer Mahon, at  [email protected] .

Admissions Deadlines: July 1 for Fall and Oct. 1 for Spring

 All materials are submitted through the University's   application portal . Once you create your account, go back to MyNevada to log in and start your application. 

If you miss the application deadline, but would like to enroll in courses prior to an admission decision, you may still apply to take courses through the Graduate School under Graduate Special student status. However, please note, this does not guarantee you acceptance to the program, and the courses may not count towards the Ph.D. unless you have consulted with a C&I faculty member.

Program Structure

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program requires a minimum of 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree, which includes a minimum of 12 credits of dissertation. Of the remaining 72 credits, a maximum of 24 credits (with grades of B or better) may be applied from a master's degree program or previous post-baccalaureate graduate studies program toward the doctoral degree. These credits must be approved by your chair, the College of Education Doctoral Director of Graduate Study, and the Dean of the Graduate School. Credit for completion of a thesis or special project may not be included. There is no limit on the number of units transferred when student earns master’s en route to Ph.D.

At least 30 credits of 700-level courses beyond the bachelor's degree, exclusive of dissertation credits, are required for the Ph.D. degree. Degree requirements must be completed within 8 years of admission to the program.

24 credits: Research and required core

  • Doctoral Seminar in Education

Required Research Courses:

  • One Quantitative research course
  • One Qualitative research course
  • Program Development and Evaluation
  • Survey Research in Education
  • Research Applications in Education
  • Mixed Methods Research in Education
  • Special topics research course such as Single Subject Design
  • Others from outside COE (with approval)
  • Lower level courses such as EDRS 640 and EDRS 700 or equivalents are prerequisites
  • Course names and requirements are subject to change. Please visit the course catalog for the most current information.

36 credits(dependent upon number of dissertation credits carried): Area of emphasis

Coursework is determined by the Advisory/Examining Committee in close consultation with the student. Credits brought in from Master’s degree may apply to area of emphasis.

Minimum of 12 credits: Dissertation

The dissertation is the culminating experience for the doctoral degree. It represents an independent research project that makes a contribution to the field of study.

Coursework earned as part of a master’s degree can count toward the area of emphasis, as well as toward the research or cognate areas, depending on relevance. Decisions about prior coursework are approved by your chair and your Advisory/Examining Committee.

Our program goal is for all students to complete the doctoral degree within 5-6 years. Research has shown that students who work on this trajectory have the highest chance of ultimately completing their doctoral studies. The best way to meet this objective is full-time studies; however, we have students in our program who are part-time students. You will be advised to work closely with your initial advisor and ultimately your chair to develop a timeline and program of study that meets your career goal and is most likely to result in completion.

Looking for a Graduate Assistantship?

The College of Education & Human Development has a limited number of Graduate Assistantships for full-time students admitted to masters or doctoral programs. 

Program Faculty

Elizabeth Xeng De Los Santos

College of Science

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A love of marine biology and data analysis

Thursday, May 09, 2024 • Katherine Egan Bennett :

Kelsey Beavers Scuba Research

Kelsey Beavers’ love of the ocean started at a young age. Coming from a family of avid scuba divers, she became a certified junior diver at age 11.

“It was a different world,” Beavers said. “I loved everything about the ocean.”

After graduating from high school, the Austin native moved to Fort Worth to study environmental science at Texas Christian University. One of her professors at TCU knew University of Texas at Arlington biology Professor Laura Mydlarz and encouraged Beavers to continue her studies in Arlington.

“Kelsey came to UTA to pursue a Ph.D. and study coral disease, and she quickly got involved in a large project studying stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) , a rapidly spreading disease that has been killing coral all along Florida’s coast and in 22 Caribbean countries,” Mydlarz said. “She has been a real asset to our team, including being the lead author on a paper we published in Nature Communications last year on the disease.”

UT Arlington biology researchers Laura Mydlarz and Kelsey Beavers

As part of her doctoral program, Beavers completed original research studying the gene expression of coral reefs affected by SCTLD. Her research involved scuba diving off the coast of the U.S. Virgin Islands to collect coral tissue samples before returning to the lab for data analysis.

“What we found was that the symbiotic algae living within coral are also affected by SCTLD,” Beavers said. “Our current hypothesis is that when algae move from reef to reef, they may be spreading the disease that has been devastating coral reefs since it first appeared in 2014.”

A large part of Beavers’ dissertation project involved crunching large sets of gene expression data extracted from the coral samples and analyzing it in the context of disease susceptibility and severity.

“The analysis part of the project was so much larger than just using a regular Mac, so I worked with the Texas Advanced Computer Center (TACC) in Austin, which is part of the UT System, using their supercomputers,” Beavers said.

Beavers enjoyed the data analysis part of her project so much that when she saw an opening at TACC for a full-time position, she jumped at the chance. She’s now working there part-time until graduation, when she plans to move to Austin for her new role.

“I’m really looking forward to my new position, as I’ll be able to work on research projects other than my own,” she said. “It will be interesting to be a specialist in data analysis and help other scientists use the TACC supercomputers to solve complex questions.”

As part of the job, she’ll travel to other UT System campuses to educate researchers on how they can use the tools available at TACC.

The UTA College of Science, a Carnegie R1 research institution, is preparing the next generation of leaders in science through innovative education and hands-on research and offers programs in Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Data Science, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Health Professions, Mathematics, Physics and Psychology. To support educational and research efforts visit the  giving page , or if you're a prospective student interested in beginning your #MaverickScience journey visit our  future students page .

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COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

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Steps After Submission

Main navigation.

If you recently submitted a dissertation or thesis in Axess, you still have one more required step to complete. Browse this guide to help you stay on track.

Certificate of Final Reading

After you’ve submitted your dissertation or thesis, one member of your Reading Committee, known as the Final Reader, must certify that they have reviewed the final draft of the dissertation, engineer thesis, or final project submitted to the university. The Final Reader must be a member of the Academic Council.  Final Reader certification or approval is one of the last submission steps that must be completed by the submission deadline date .

The certification process occurs in Axess, where the Final Reader will be able to review a copy of the submission, and then approve or reject the submission.

Upon final submission of the dissertation or thesis online, an email is automatically sent to the Final Reader informing them that they have a dissertation or thesis ready for review in Axess. The Final Reader can locate the Approve Dissertation/Thesis link within their Advisor tab in Axess.

The final reading of the dissertation should include a review of the following:

  • Content : All suggested changes have been taken into account and incorporated into the manuscript where appropriate. If the manuscript includes joint group research, the student's contribution is clearly explained in an introduction.
  • Published Materials : If previously published materials are included in the dissertation, publication sources are indicated, written permission has been obtained for copyrighted materials, and all of the dissertation format requirements have been met.
  • Appearance : The dissertation is ready-for-publication in appearance.
  • Release Options : The Final Reader will also have the opportunity to review the selected embargo and other release options.

If the Final Reader is unable to approve electronically via Axess, or if the Final Reader does not have access to a computer, the student may submit a paper Certificate of Final Reading , signed by the Final Reader.

Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)

Stanford University participates in the Survey of Earned Doctorates, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Education, and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).  Stanford asks that you complete this survey .

Obtaining Bound Copies for Personal Use

The Office of the University Registrar does not provide bound copies of your dissertation or thesis for personal use.

After you officially submit your dissertation or thesis to Stanford, if you want a bound copy of your work for personal use, the university recommends the HF Group .

The HF Group offers a print-on-demand service for Stanford students wanting personal bound copies (with red covers) of their dissertations, engineer thesis, or DMA Final Project. 

dateandtime.info: world clock

Current time by city

For example, New York

Current time by country

For example, Japan

Time difference

For example, London

For example, Dubai

Coordinates

For example, Hong Kong

For example, Delhi

For example, Sydney

Current local time in Krasnodar, Krasnodar Krai, Russia

Daylight saving time (dst) changes in krasnodar, sunrise and sunset time for krasnodar, krasnodar, russia, time and time zones.

The length of a solar day is determined by the time that it takes for the Earth to complete a full rotation around its axis and equals 24 hours. The Earth’s rotation on its axis leads to change between day and night. Another consequence of this rotation is the fact that while moving by 15° from West to East local solar time increases by an hour.

In everyday life people use official local time which almost always differs from solar time. All of the Earth’s surface is divided into time zones. All places within the same time zone observe the same time. Time zone boundaries usually follow country or administrative borders. Time difference between adjacent time zones normally equals one hour, though sometimes time in neighbouring time zones may differ by two or more hours. There are also cases when adjacent time zone difference equals 30 or 45 minutes.

For most countries the entire country’s territory lies within the same time zone. Countries whose territory stretches from West to East by a significant distance, such as Russia , USA , Canada , Brazil and some others, are usually divided into a few time zones. One notable exception is China where Beijing time serves as the official time all over the country.

Coordinated Universal Time or UTC is the reference point to determine time zone offsets. UTC corresponds to mean solar time on the Prime or Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude). Time zone offsets from UTC range from UTC-12:00 to UTC+14:00.

Almost all countries in Europe and North America as well as many other countries observe Daylight Saving Time (DST) and put their clocks an hour forward in the spring and an hour back in the autumn. In these countries time zone offsets from UTC change twice a year. Most countries do not observe DST though.

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  3. Where to Start When You Have Just 1 Week Left to Write a Dissertation?

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  4. How to Manage Your Time When Writing a Dissertation with a Tight Deadline?

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  5. How to Transfer to Stanford (Deadlines and Application Requirements

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  6. (PDF) No need to stress when the dissertation deadline approaches

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  1. PhD Thesis Writing Tips To Beat The Deadline

  2. How To Write A Dissertation at Undergraduate or Master's Level

  3. How To Defend Your Thesis? Top 10 Tips For Success

  4. 10 Tips for Completing a Dissertation

  5. Margaret Coad PhD Thesis Defense

  6. How To Write A Dissertation Introduction Or Thesis Introduction Chapter: 7 Steps + Loads Of Examples

COMMENTS

  1. Dissertations and Theses

    2023-24. Thursday, September 12. Dissertation deadlines are strictly enforced. No exceptions are made. By noon on the final submission deadline date, all of the following steps must be completed: The student enrolls and applies to graduate; The student confirms the names of reading committee members in Axess, and designates a Final Reader;

  2. Submit Your Dissertation or Thesis

    Billing Dates & Deadlines. Late Fees & Penalties to Avoid; Your Financial Account Details; Make a Payment. How To Make a Payment ... you, as the author, will sign the Stanford University Thesis and Dissertation Publication License. By accepting the terms of this agreement, you are granting Stanford the non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual ...

  3. Dissertation Defense

    The entire process must be complete and dissertation approved by the Registrar's Office by the following deadlines: Autumn Quarter 2021 - Friday, December 7, 2021 at 12:00pm. Winter Quarter 2022 - Friday, March 19, 2022 at 12:00pm. Spring Quarter 2022 - Wednesday, June 4, 2022 at 12:00pm. Summer Quarter 2022 - Friday, August 27, 2022 ...

  4. Capstone and thesis submission (undergraduate honors, master's)

    Stanford undergraduate students who have produced a senior capstone project, honors thesis, or similar culminating work are welcome. Stanford master's students outside of the School of Engineering who have written a thesis may deposit their work. The Stanford Digital Repository (SDR) is a service available to all Stanford students, faculty ...

  5. Master's Thesis

    The thesis must be written in English, to ensure that the faculty and staff of the Program's Directorate can read and understand it. Deadline. Master's theses are due at Noon on the day of the University Dissertation/Thesis Deadline for the quarter in which you are graduating. You must be a registered Stanford student during the quarter in ...

  6. Stanford Dissertation Fellowships

    The SHC Dissertation Prize Fellowships, endowed by Theodore and Frances Geballe, are awarded to doctoral students whose work is of the highest distinction and promise. The fellowship stipend includes three academic quarters of funding (fall/winter/spring). In 2023-24 the funding amount was $38,700; the exact amount for 2024-25 will be announced ...

  7. Dissertation Defense

    See Axess or Directions for Preparing Doctoral Dissertations for specific deadline dates. ... Students on Graduation Quarter are registered at Stanford and, therefore, have the rights and privileges of registered students. Students will be assessed University health insurance (unless waived), campus health services fee, and ASSU fees (except ...

  8. Checklist: Submitting My Dissertation or Thesis

    During Online Submission. Ensure your electronic dissertation or thesis is formatted following these guidelines: One electronic copy of the dissertation or thesis in PDF format. Page size is standard U.S. letter size (8.5" x 11"). For D.M.A Composition students, score page size is 11" x 17". Type size 10, 11, or 12 point.

  9. 'Committed to a holistic review': Provost provides admissions update

    Stanford continues its work to understand and ensure compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court's June ruling that upended the long-standing practice of race-conscious university admissions, ...

  10. Thesis Defense: Soren Holm, Martinez Group

    Mailing Address. Chemistry Receiving - Stanford University 337 Campus Drive Stanford, CA 94305-4401 Phone: (650) 723-2501 Campus Map

  11. Subscribe to Stanford Report

    To discuss the university's IDEAL initiative, Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Provost Persis Drell joined Patrick Dunkley, Shirley Everett and C. Matthew Snipp for a Campus ...

  12. How Princeton's Kaitlyn Chen handles thesis deadlines and NCAA

    How Princeton's Kaitlyn Chen handles thesis deadlines and NCAA Tournament dreams. By Ben Pickman. Mar 22, 2024. 6. Just two days before the start of the Ivy League tournament, Princeton star ...

  13. Fusion Breakthrough Presentation by Dr. Andrea "Annie" Kritcher

    The Fusion Breakthrough at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory The inertial fusion community has been working towards ignition for decades, since the idea of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) was first proposed by Nuckolls, et al., in 1972. On Dec 5th 2022, the Lawson criterion for ignition was met and more fusion energy was created than laser energy incident on the target at the National ...

  14. Understanding Post-Soviet Ethnic Discrimination and the ...

    organization/52475.pdf (manuscript at 32) [hereinafter Proposed Refugee Admissions for FY 2006] (stating that out of a an estimated total of 14,250 refugees admitted from Europe and Central Asia, "[t]he majority of FY 2005 admissions from the region will be Meskhetian Turk refugees processed in

  15. Dissertation & Thesis Resources

    Coterm Tuition Assessment. Graduate Students. Dissertations and Theses. Prepare Your Work for Submission. Format Requirements for Your Dissertation or Thesis. Title Page for Ph.D. Dissertation. Title Page for an Engineer Thesis. Submit Your Dissertation or Thesis. Checklist: Submitting My Dissertation or Thesis.

  16. Opinion

    May 1, 2024. Selective college admissions have been a vortex of anxiety and stress for what seems like forever, inducing panic in more top high school seniors each year. But the 2023-24 admissions ...

  17. (PDF) Unsettled Identity Negotiations: The Armenian Diaspora in

    This chapter, based on ethnographic fieldwork, explores cosmopolitanism through the prism of unifying and dividing processes and their impact on the identity of young Armenians living within the Armenian community in southern Russia's Krasnodar

  18. Oil refinery blazes in Krasnodar Krai

    Sponsored Content. In the Krasnodar Krai, an oil refinery is on fire. Residents heard explosion sounds before the fire broke out, according to the Telegram channel Astra. According to rescuers ...

  19. Ph.D. in Education: Curriculum and Instruction

    This emphasis area is for students interested in developing expertise in teaching and teacher education, curricular development and implementation, subject specific areas (e.g., English, social studies, science, mathematics, and other areas), and/or issues in pre-K through college education. This ...

  20. A love of marine biology and data analysis

    Life Sciences Building, Room 206 501 S. Nedderman Drive Box 19047 Arlington, TX 76019

  21. Steps After Submission

    Final Reader certification or approval is one of the last submission steps that must be completed by the submission deadline date. The certification process occurs in Axess, where the Final Reader will be able to review a copy of the submission, and then approve or reject the submission. Upon final submission of the dissertation or thesis ...

  22. Current local time in Krasnodar, Krasnodar Krai, Russia

    Sunrise and sunset time for Krasnodar. Sunrise: 6:03 AM. Sunset: 6:34 PM. Day length: 12h 30m 47s. Solar noon: 12:18 PM. See the monthly sunrise, sunset, and twilight table for Krasnodar.