Successfully Passed the Final Hurdle

On July 31, 2020, I successfully passed my oral defense - the final hurdle to obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy. My presentation of my dissertation findings - Buying to Thrive: Exploring the Potential for Market-Based Approaches to Contribute to Increases in Diet Diversity in Mozambique was attended by more than 50 of my family, friends, and colleagues. When I first started my PhD in 2016, I never expected to be defending on Zoom during the middle of pandemic, but having so many people who have supported my throughout the process being able to attend as a result was a happy compromise.

Many thanks to my committee, Sofia Costa - without whom none of my field work would have been possible, my family and friends who have supported me, and my colleagues at Virginia Tech and the Center for International Research, Education, and Development.