Last dissertation students before the new year hits

Welcome Week has already started, and lectures start on Monday. But we still had two dissertation students to sort out.They have to do a presentation too. My colleague Katrien was making arrangements. The best time for her was Friday, but that also was the very, very last day grades could be submitted. So we planned it in the morning! My own student had gone to Cornwall so he would do it over Skype. He would be first!

The technology worked. It was great! You can have a split screen, with both your presentation and your head. Pretty good! He did talk for too long though; we had to stop him. He was talking about deep-sea mining of polymetallic nodules, what environmental damage that does, but also to what extent it can help replace combustion engine cars with electric vehicles, and thus help lower CO2 emissions. Interesting stuff!

Polymetallic nodules

The other student ended up (due to circumstances) presenting on the afternoon. She talked about the influence of a potential tidal lagoon near Rhyl on sediment transport and such. Also interesting! But once she was done we had to pretty much run away and submit her grades. And as well run back to our desks to do last preparations for the new term that was nigh... we actually don't want to be dealing with dissertation students of the past year so close to the new year anymore! But these were lucky. They got it done!

A tidal lagoon, this one far away. Pic by 핑크로즈