Here you see Laura defending her thesis. She is flanked by her paranymphs Michelle (who will defend her own thesis on 7 December this year) and Catarina (who works as a post-doc on the response of phytoplankton to dust fertilisation in an affiliated project).

Laura defends her thesis, flanked by her paranymphs Michelle and Catarina.

The day before the thesis defence, a mini-symposium was organised at VU in which Laura already presented her work and discussed with the committee members. Most of the opponents also presented their work related to the fertilisation potential of mineral dust. 

Dr Laura in the midst of paranymphs and thesis committee

You can read the pride and happiness on the faces of not only the fresly pronounced PhD but also on the faces of the paranymps, the thesis-committee members as well as the (co)promotors. Well done Frau Doctor!