CR
Cryospheric Sciences

Mack Baysinger

Mack Baysinger (she / they) is a PhD Student working at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam, Germany. Mack’s research explores the carbon and nutrient cycling in high-latitude soils, with a focus on peatland and permafrost systems. She can be found on Bluesky @mack-baysinger. Contact Email: mackenzie.baysinger@awi.de

Cryosphere Caps: PhD hats and the researchers that wear them – Episode 2

March 21, 2025
A group of people standing around a person holding a decorated hat in their hand.
Figure 1. Tina and her colleagues investigating the PhD Hat, on the day of her PhD defense [Credit: Tommi Odenthal]

This miniseries features the tradition of ‘PhD hat’ making in German research institutes and universities. For those of you unfamiliar with this idea (as I once was), this is one of the final milestones a graduate student has before they are officially a “Dr.”. Upon the successful defense of a thesis, the labmates of the PhD student craft a graduation hat from a mishmash of scrap cardboard and mem ...[Read More]

Cryosphere Caps: PhD hats and the researchers that wear them – Episode 1

February 21, 2025
Cryosphere Caps: PhD hats and the researchers that wear them – Episode 1
Figure 1: Torben at the moment he received his PhD hat from his peers, at his defense in 2024 at the University of Potsdam. [Credit: Mack Baysinger]

This miniseries features the tradition of ‘PhD hat’ making in German research institutes and universities. For those of you unfamiliar with this idea (as I once was), this is one of the final milestones a graduate student has before they are officially a “Dr.”. Upon the successful defense of a thesis, the peers of the PhD student craft a graduation hat from a mishmash of scrap cardboard and memora ...[Read More]