On May 6, 2024, according to Insight into Diversity, Dorothy Jean Tillman II became the youngest person in the US to earn a doctoral degree. She studied at the Arizona State University and earned a doctoral degree in Integrated Behavioural Health studies. At the time of getting her degree, she was only 17 years of age.
It’s Dorothy’s mission to create safe spaces and products for the learners so that they can join the STEAM experiences and improve their academic achievements. In this article, you will get an in-depth analysis of how Dorothy Jean Tillman’s dissertation became a huge success and what tricks she used to defend her work successfully at the age of 17.
Let’s get into the details.
Who Is Dorothy Jean Tillman II and Why Is She Famous?
Friends and family call her ‘Dorothy Jeanius’, and she has an inspiring motto of “Leading by Examples of Excellence”. She has blood ties with the former Chicago Alderwoman Dorothy Tillman and is her granddaughter. While a majority of students are learning to figure out the high school, she is done with her PhD.
From a young age, she excelled in her academic pursuits. When she was 7, she had to do all her homework. At that stage, she also started taking the module tests at the college level and applied all the credits in the direction of higher education. As per CNN, when she was 14, she had a bachelor’s, master’s and associate’s degree to her name.
Fast forward three years, and at 17, she successfully delivered and defended her dissertation. Now, at 18, she is officially a doctor and has walked out of the convocation of Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions.
- Most of her classwork was done online and remotely.
- Dorothy addressed the graduating class during the ceremony.
Miss Tillman credits her mother and grandmother for her educational success and other pursuits. Her mom, Jimalita Tillman, is a single parent. However, she says that she had to miss out on several school activities like spirit weeks, homecoming dances and doing everyday chores at school. She plans to do fundraising campaigns for poor people across the country.
Top 4 Strategies Dorothy Jean Tillman Used to Defend Her Dissertation Successfully
There are quite a few suggestions from Miss Tillman’s dissertation defence session. The most important lesson is that with patience and perseverance, one can achieve almost any result. Secondly, it is important to have faith in yourself and all the hard work you have done.
And finally, when going for an occasion as significant as a thesis defence, you must be fully ready to tackle all sorts of challenges, just like Miss Tillman you may have to face. You can also seek guidance from a professional dissertation writing service to fine-tune your dissertation before appearing in front of the dissertation committee.
The tips that we can learn from the Dr Dorothy Jean Tillman II dissertation defence session are listed here:
1. She Knew Everything About Her Work
The research work of Dorothy was based on the effect of the implementation of educational programs that reduce the Stigma Around Mental Health Services in College Settings. She knew all about her research before going for the dissertation defence. Just like her, you must also understand what is written on the slides, what is there to be discussed, and what you have to tell your readers. Along with this, another important thing to know is the preferences and comprehension level of your audience.
The best way to prepare yourself practically for the dissertation defence is by making a short summary of the entire research work. Make a document containing all the brief points about the main chapters of your work.
Tips to Organise Research Data
Here are the best tips for the organisation of data regarding your research work for the dissertation defence session:
- Make a research outline with all the major points and sections of your dissertation.
- Review all the mock questions.
- Keep yourself updated on the recent trends in your research field.
- Keep reading the relevant journals regularly so that you are aware of what is happening in your research area.
- Ask your peers to help you in preparing the presentation per the guidelines.
- Mention the relevant data on the slides that you prepare for the presentation.
- Before the dissertation defence session, ask for feedback from your fellows and friends.
- Prepare yourself for all kinds of unexpected questions that you may get asked during the presentation.
- Read the dissertation thoroughly so that you may know what you have accomplished.
- Attend the dissertation defence sessions of other students.
Once you are aware of the formalities of the entire process, you can present your thoughts and ideas in the best manner. The coherence of ideas and the grip on arguments matters the most. Hence, you should be able to present all your ideas and research work with full authority and confidence in front of other researchers.
2. She Prepared Herself for Tough Questions
It is completely natural to feel nervous and anxious when it comes to the deliverance of a final dissertation defence presentation. Dorothy also felt a tinge of anxiety and nervousness when she had to appear on stage to defend her research work. The first thing to do to prepare yourself for anxiety mentally is to expect tough questions.
Tips to Prepare for Unexpected Questions
To deal with adverse situations, here are some of the guidelines from Dorothy Jean Tillman that you must follow when working on your presentation:
- Check the previous defences of your department and study their key takeaways.
- Stand in front of the mirror and practice as much as you can.
- Discuss the research work with your peers and ask them to go for some unexpected questions.
- Review the old patterns and see if you are ready for different kinds of situations or not.
- Deliver the dissertation defence loudly and adjust the pitch of your voice
- Draft professional answers for all kinds of unexpected questions.
- Identify the areas that may need clarification when you are delivering the presentation.
- Verbalise your answers and work on your confidence level.
- You must ensure that you have covered all the basic points and patterns.
- You should also organise all the critical areas of your research and present them coherently in front of an audience.
When you are mentally ready to explore the answers to unexpected questions, you will be better able to present yourself in front of the chair and other listeners. Hence, the prior practice is extremely important.
3. Her Dissertation Defence Attire was Professional
You must have heard the famous saying that goes like ‘first impression is the last impression’. This applies when you have to appear for the dissertation defence of your papers. Dorothy Tillman had a nice outfit idea for her prom: a fitted bodice and a decent dress. In order to stay confident when delivering the dissertation, you should wear nice overall attire.
Tips to Choose an Appropriate Dress for Dissertation Defence
Some of the tips that can help students choose the right outfit for their dissertation defence session are the following:
- For men, they should pick neutral colours and go for a casual business outfit.
- It’s important to feel confident on your big day; hence, you should pay attention to your appearance.
- Test the dress before the day arrives so that you may fix the fitting or sizing issues.
- Keep a pair of extra shirts prepared in case you get the dress accidentally ruined.
- Do not go for fancy shoes; otherwise, you will feel uncomfortable walking during the dissertation.
- Check the overall grooming and styling of your dress before you go to the room for the presentation.
- Men should pick the attire they would choose if they had to go for a job interview.
- Women should try a professional dress or a formal suit.
- The dress colours should not be too bright as it will distract the readers.
- You should dress for success when going for the dissertation defence in the Dorothy Tillman style.
Both genders should make sure that the dress they pick is perfect according to their body type and fits them well. If it doesn’t, they should either get the dress changed or fitted before the day of the presentation. Regardless of what you choose, the comfort of the dresses and shoes matters a lot.
4. She Remained Calm Throughout
It is not easy to stay calm in the face of defending your dissertation; however, you must practice this art for your wellness. Dorothy advises students not to let their nerves overpower their mental faculties. Students can also practice different mind-relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation. All of this will help them stay focussed and enable them to prepare themselves mentally for what is coming.
Tips to Stay Calm During Dissertation Defence
If you want to stay focused during the session, follow these guidelines:
- Try mindfulness exercises that will calm your mind. These will increase your ability to focus on things.
- Use noise-cancelling applications to improve your focus.
- Exercise regularly in order to reduce the stress levels in your blood.
- Get enough rest on the day of the dissertation defence.
- Visualise your success, and you will be halfway there.
- Practice various deep breathing exercises as they will calm your nerves down.
- Try doing yoga on the day of dissertation defence so that your nerves stay calm.
- Do not stay up all night on the night before the defence.
- Do not think negatively about yourself, and keep yourself positive.
- If you go for a run before the thesis defence session, you will feel much better regarding your stress and anxiety levels.
The improved focus helps you maintain your calm and makes you better able to present your ideas in front of people calmly. The Dorothy Jean Tillman dissertation defence session gives the lesson that if you show perseverance and consistency, you will be able to achieve the desirable results. This can work well to your benefit and you can impress the dissertation committee.
How to Prepare for the Defence of Your Dissertation?
Most students who have to defend their dissertations are worried about the non-stop revisions, hardball questions and even the anxiety of failing the papers. Some even have stage fright and are afraid of speaking to a lot of people. However, with regular practice and help from experts, all of these fears can be overcome.
The top 4 strategies to prepare you in the best way for the defence of your dissertation are the following:
1. Start Your Preparation
The dissertation defence is an important event, and it represents the years of research and hard work of students to the audience. Most of the research work they do is written in nature, and students feel quite a bit unprepared and anxious when speaking about the dissertation. If we have something to learn from the Dorothy Jean Tillman dissertation defence, those are the following simple things:
- Take it as your moment and be mentally prepared to show it in front of the whole world.
- Confidence matters; hence, you should be careful about presenting your work to fellow researchers with full confidence and passion.
- You should be ready to feel good and be prepared for the entire experience both during and after the dissertation defence session.
- If you want to present yourself at future conferences, take the dissertation defence as an excellent opportunity to rehearse.
You should take the entire session as an act of live performance. It is like a musician who has to perform live on stage in front of a large audience. When you think about it this way, you will find it much easier to give a good presentation. The challenges of writing a dissertation are far less complicated as compared to the pressure of delivering an excellent presentation in front of the scientific community.
2. Organise Well to Get Succeed
When you have to set yourself up for success, you must consider several things when preparing for the dissertation defence. Prior planning for the event to take place is important for success. Such detailed planning will assist you in getting closer to your dreams and help you achieve the results you want.
Some of the questions to ask during the entire process are the following:
- What are the things that you must have during the dissertation defence session?
- Can you choose the best place for you to do the dissertation defence? If yes, what is that?
- Have you memorised the contents of the slides you will be presenting to the audience?
- What exactly is your plan for any unexpected situation that may arise out of nowhere?
For instance, what can be your backup plan if you encounter a sudden technical glitch? Are you prepared for the situations that may harm the progress of your presentation? Think about all the questions and plan your work accordingly. Remember that it is important to keep everything planned so that you do not have to worry about anything later on.
3. Rehearse the Presentation
Not rehearsing the presentation and overall session beforehand is a stupid mistake that most students make before the defence session. Through the example of Dorothy Jean Tillman’s dissertation, we are aware that rehearsing the presentation fully is important if one aims to succeed.
Here are the tips that students should be keen to follow when it comes to the rehearsal of the final presentation:
- Ensure to use screen-recording software to record yourself while you practice the narration of your presentation.
- Do the recording of the screen multiple times unless you become perfect in the rehearsals.
- Ask for the feedback of friends and family and pay attention to what they ask you to change in your papers.
- You can also ask for critique from trusted fellows and researchers to encourage you for the dissertation defence session. ‘
Try a rehearsal session in front of other people before the defence session is due. However, be sure not to overdo the rehearsal, or you will lose the charm of it all.
4. Keep Yourself Ready for the Day
When the day for the dissertation defence finally comes, you have to be fully ready for the presentation. Talk to your chair and address any issues related to the process. According to the National University Library, some format guidelines for the overall process are mentioned here:
- Firstly, the chair introduces the candidate and the overall session.
- Then, there is a PowerPoint presentation of around 30 minutes from the candidate.
- After that, questions from the Chair or SME are entertained, and there may be questions from others.
- The deliberation process comes next, and it’s private.
As we learned from the Dorothy Jean Tillman dissertation defence session, the candidate must be fully prepared on the day of the dissertation defence. Keep your notes ready because you will be expected to share your presentation screen, and notes will not be visible on those. You can either keep a printout with you or use a separate monitor to keep notes.
Some other key factors to take care of during the entire process are mentioned here:
- Test the volume of the microphone and battery of your computer before you start writing.
- Keep a water bottle with you so that you can feel comfortable when delivering your presentation.
- On the day of the dissertation defence, arrive early to test the set-up and ensure that everything is ready to go.
- Let the chair take the lead and introduce you to everyone present.
You have worked hard for this day to come; now is the time to take full credit for all the hard work that you have been doing. Keep yourself fully ready for success, and it will meet you.
Is Dorothy Tillman Still Alive?
Yes, Dorothy Jean Tillman is still alive, and she says that she has a very supportive net of people around her, and she feels very lucky to have them around. According to the Chicago Tribune, only 0.6% of 18-19-year-olds have a bachelor’s degree, and Miss Tillman is one of the top genius creams in Chicago.
She founded STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) labs in 2020, and she publishes books for children using those labs. Furthermore, being an environmental scientist, she also speaks on topics that urge the youth to save the planet for the coming generations.
Conclusion
We have explored in detail the strategies followed by Miss Dorothy Jean Tillman to defend her dissertation at the young age of 17. Furthermore, we have also included the overall dissertation defence tips to help you get done with the goal of finishing your papers as soon as you can.
Students can surely learn a lot from the example of Dorothy Jean Tillman’s dissertation, but sometimes they need personalised assistance with their papers. In such cases, custom dissertation writing services extend a helping hand to learners. Professional writers are best suited to fulfil the requirements of different projects.
Lastly, you must be thoroughly prepared to defend your dissertation; otherwise, you will get nowhere. Ensure that you have a grip on what you have researched and that you can successfully explain it to your audience. Once you feel sure that you can successfully demonstrate your work, you will be bound to succeed.
Author Bio
Lauren Pratt is an experienced dissertation writer and a passionate academic researcher with a decade of experience in the field of academics and education. She loves diving into the latest tech and digital trends, helping students confidently defend their papers along the way. Currently contributing to top UK educational magazines and journals, Lauren thrives on turning complex topics into relatable insights, making learning enjoyable and accessible for everyone.
