Dissertation Update!

This just in...Andy turned in the last chapter and conclusion of his dissertation last week!  Alleluia!  The first draft of his dissertation was 650 pages and included approximately 2,000 footnotes.  Now the fun begins.  He is starting to revise all of his previous chapters and he needs to cut about 200 pages.  He also needs to coordinate the bibliography which he estimates will be about 50 pages in itself! We are both very excited! 

He started going back through his first and longest chapter this week. Now that he sees the dissertation as a whole, he is finding it easy to make a lot of big cuts.  So far I think he has lost about 50 pages.  Andy has been coming home from working on the dissertation happy and energized.  It is great!

So what is next in the process?  After he makes revisions to all of his previous chapters (seven in total), he needs to get the second draft approved by his director.  Then it will go off to two readers who also must approve it.  That is followed by the big dissertation defense.  Afterwards the work isn't quite over.  He will still have to make any last minute changes recommended by his committee, be sure it is all formatted perfectly, and deposit the final document.  Then we will be free!  It looks very likely that he will graduate in May 2012 - big party to follow!

My hard-working husband (and cute baby).

After putting in a full day at work, he hangs out with me and Philip until P's bedtime. 

Then he turns on his computer and works on his dissertation into the wee hours of the night. 

He wakes up before me, goes to bed after me, and absolutely amazes me!