Whitaker PhD forum
On 25th May 2016, the Whitaker Institute hosted its first forum for NUI Galway PhD students, in the Hardiman Research Building.
Targeted at PhD students at all stages of their PhD who may be associated with the Whitaker Institute, the event had 55 attendees including PhD students from the College of Business, Public Policy and Law, and the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies.
The day was divided into two main segments: The morning sessions focused on managing the PhD process, while the emphasis of the afternoon sessions was on the PhD Viva.
Following a Welcome Address by Whitaker Institute Director Professor John McHale, the morning sessions began with ‘Coaching yourself to success: How to manage the PhD journey (and beyond)’. Led by Dr Alma McCarthy, this session encouraged peer-to-peer discussion and learning, and identified common challenges faced by PhD students, including ‘impostor syndrome’, managing time, and getting work/life balance. Following this, a session titled ‘Managing your PhD process’ featured presentations from PhD students (Mr Chris Noone and Ms Patricia Martyn) and a recent graduate (Dr Denis Dennehy). This session also featured a lively Q&A with the audience addressing questions about the PhD process to a panel including Ms Anna Marie Leonard (Graduate Studies), Dr Valerie Ledwith (Population and Migration Cluster), Dr Ashley Piggins (Group Decision Making Cluster), and Professor Kevin Leyden (Creative, Liveable and Sustainable Communities Cluster).
Dr Rachel Hilliard introduced the afternoon sessions with a presentation and Q&A on Viva procedure and regulations. A special session on the PhD viva followed, where PhD candidate Roger Sweetman (Lero) presented his work to two ‘examiners’: Dr Stephen Hynes (SEMRU) and Dr Kathryn Cormican (Performance Management Cluster) in a ‘mock-viva’ style. This session also invited questions from PhD students in the audience to the two ‘examiners’, on matters related to the Viva. The final session of the day featured presentations from two recent PhD graduates (Dr Trevor Clohessy and Dr Denise Holland) who spoke about their Viva experience, and gave their advice to other PhD students preparing for Viva. Another highlight of the afternoon sessions was presentations from two Viva Examiners: Professor Norbert Bach (Ilmenau University of Technology, Germany), and Professor Eamon O’Shea (Irish Centre for Social Gerontology), who provided invaluable advice to attendees about preparing for the Viva, from their vast experience as examiners and Viva chairs.
Throughout the day, PhD students displayed research posters. Poster sessions took place during coffee and lunch breaks, and facilitated interaction and networking. Attendees were also provided with supporting materials from the Graduate Studies office, including guides to the PhD Viva and communicating research.
This initiative was conceived and organized by Dr Elaine Wallace, Associate Director at the Whitaker Institute.
