PhD Qualifying Exams
I’m thrilled to share that I have successfully passed my qualifying exams, marking a significant milestone in my academic journey. This process was both challenging and rewarding, culminating in a well-attended presentation and a rigorous verbal exam.
The Journey to the Qualifying Exams
The Qualifying Exam serves as a crucial checkpoint in the PhD program, designed to ensure that students are making significant research progress and possess a deep understanding of their research area. For me, this journey involved months of preparation, in-depth study of selected research papers, and countless hours of refining my presentation.
My Committee
I extend my deepest gratitude to my qualifying exam committee for their invaluable guidance and support throughout this process. Although a typical committee consists of three members, mine had four distinguished experts: Dr. Norman Ramsey, Dr. Liping Liu, Dr. Rob Jacobs, and Dr. J.P. de Ruiter. Their expertise and rigorous questioning during the verbal exam challenged me to think critically and articulate my ideas clearly, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of my research capabilities.
The Exam Components
- Presentation:
- Duration: 30-40 minutes
- Content: I presented my research, focusing on the development of models of naturalistic turn-taking in spoken dialogue systems. This included an overview of GailBot, an automated system for extracting paralinguistic features of conversation, and our exploration of using Large Language Models (LLMs) to predict turn opportunities in spoken language.
- Audience: The presentation was well-attended by faculty, fellow students, and researchers, fostering an engaging and insightful discussion.
- Oral Exam:
- Duration: One hour
- Content: The verbal exam was an intense and thorough examination of 4-7 research papers selected by my committee. The discussion covered various aspects of my research area, testing my knowledge and understanding of the key concepts and methodologies.
The Outcome
Passing the qualifying exams is a significant achievement that validates the hard work and dedication I have invested in my research. It also sets the stage for the next phase of my PhD journey, where I will continue to develop and refine my research on naturalistic turn-taking in spoken dialogue systems.
Moving Forward
With this milestone behind me, I am excited to move forward with renewed focus and determination. The support and feedback from my committee and peers have provided me with valuable insights and motivation to continue pushing the boundaries of my research.
I look forward to sharing more updates as I progress in my academic journey and contribute to the field of spoken dialogue systems. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way!
Stay tuned for more updates and feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to discuss my research further.
Muhammad Umair