During exam week, Oscar and Andrew joined Cara and Mariah on a field trip to the Mogollon Rim Ranger District of Coconino National Forest. The team was in search of a small ponderosa pine that would provide material for a 14C cellulose standard for some of Cara’s thesis work, and at the same time give Cara her first Christmas tree. With her permit in one hand, and chainsaw in the other, Cara declared the event a success.
It was a lovely day in the woods, and the hike to the top of a small cinder cone provided great views in all directions. Kivi the Wonder Dog enjoyed the outing, too.
Congratulations to Jen on successful PhD defense! On National Stuffing Day (November 21, who knew?), Jen presented her dissertation work on thermal imaging of plant canopies to a large on-campus audience and even larger (and global) virtual audience on Zoom. The event was a “big Diehl” for Jen’s family, as nine Diehls made the long trip to Flagstaff to hear about Jen’s research on this hot topic. Thanks to Jen’s mom and dad for providing some tales from the Diehl family lore (including classics such as “Jen’s Canadian Moose Encounter” and “Jen’s First Day of High School”) that Andrew was able to share with the audience. Later that day, there was a celebration at Mother Road, where lots of Red Bull was consumed.
Jen will officially become Dr. Diehl at graduation on December 12, at which time she will also be awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student award in SICCS. Good luck with all your future endeavors, Jen!
The photo on the left shows Jen in the hot seat, presenting her work, and the picture on the right shows Jen with committee members Andrew, George Koch, and Chris Doughty at the after-party. External committee member Chris Still, at Oregon State, was unable to attend the defense (or celebration) in person, which meant that he missed out on donuts and Red Bull.
