Ph.D. candidates defend virtually amid COVID-19 pandemic

MAY 6, 2020 — Distance learning didn’t keep UTSA students from completing requirements to complete their doctoral degrees. Six applied demography students in UTSA’s College for Health, Community and Policy have successfully presented and completed their dissertations using the virtual online tools necessary because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Jeongsoo Kim was the first doctoral candidate in his cohort to defend his dissertation using the virtual format shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic forced San Antonio to enact stay-at-home orders.

Kim recalled, “Not many people are familiar with the applications available to do the video calls. In the traditional way of defending a dissertation normally between 10 to 15 people will attend, and only approximately eight students were present along with the committee on that day.”

Johnelle Sparks, professor and chair of the Department of Demography explained that the departmental tradition is for students to give their dissertation defense presentation with faculty and students colleagues present and for the noncommittee members to celebrate with the student until the committee finishes deliberations.

“These students had to miss out on that and were left alone online while the committee met for deliberations. It was really heartwarming to see how many of their student colleagues, friends and family attended the virtual dissertation defenses, and they were able to stay online to continue giving support prior to the committee returning and congratulating them on successfully defending the dissertation and becoming doctors,” said Sparks.

Kim said he’s thankful for the experience. “It challenged me to think of a more efficient way to deliver my research without eye contact,” he said. “When you present in person, the attention is focused on the presenter versus presenting online members focused on the content material.

“The way you show your research takes a front seat, and the committee is really engaged on how the content is presented. I feel the quality of the work shines resulting in a better presentation, and you have the opportunity to expand your technological knowledge and use different online tools to present your work,” he added. 

Prior to working on and receiving his doctoral degree from UTSA, Kim was working as a fund manager in a national pension system in his native South Korea.

“Working in the pension system managing accounts for the future generations made me realize how much the population in my country is decreasing and specializing in how to reduce the pressure on the future generations became my priority.”

At UTSA, Kim’s field of study has focused on how fertility and population are defined by changes in fertility and longer life expectancy.

“Receiving a doctor of philosophy in applied demography for me means to have a more accurate navigation to find a hidden meaning of life from birth to death,” Kim said.

“Learning how to analyze large data from the census to enormous online data leads me to find a way to narrow the gap between uncertain current life and the future. I hope to draw a clear map of population aging, now that I have completed my degree,” he added.

— Ingrid Wright