Finished the PhD

Congratulations! That is great news...so what's next?

 

Typical DI response. As if a doctorate is not enough.

 

I defended by video conference. It worked quite well. I am the second American student supervised by Prof. Nel to defend by video conference. I was glad that there was already some precedent in place for this arrangement. Video did not seem to hinder the process in any significant sense.

 

I have been enrolled in some degree program for 15 of the last 16 years. Part of me has feared that, after finishing the doctorate, I would be compelled to become a "repeat offender" because I was unable cope with "life on the outside." However, I don't think this is going to be a problem. I'm really enjoying the newfound freedom. My wife assures me that she is not eager to see any more of our money devoted to tuition in the near future. If anything, I might complete the Scholar in Theology through the Australian College of Theology over a few years time. However, we'll see.

Mostly, I will focus now on a series of research and writing projects that I've had to put on hold while finishing the PhD. I have some fairly large-scale projects in development that are likely to occupy a significant portion of my energies over the next two or three years. I hope to contend for grant money to fund some of the field research work I'm wanting to do. My responsibilities at the institution where I serve are quite demanding, so I hope to be able to preserve the space in my schedule to make progress with these new projects.

Thanks for asking.

 

Congratulations from a fellow Anabaptist!