diff --git a/_layouts/person.html b/_layouts/person.html
index e40f81e6657448165e2de6bb214eb21e002d693f..2163c05f7fbe2c5a1de98ec46775da16666b47a1 100644
--- a/_layouts/person.html
+++ b/_layouts/person.html
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ layout: default
         <div class="card">
             <div class="card-image">
                 {% if page.pic %}
-                    <img src="/{{page.pic}}" width="300"/>
+                    <img src="/{{page.pic}}" width="{% if page.picwidth %}{{ page.picwidth }}{% else %}300{% endif %}" {% if page.picwidth %}class="picwidth"{% endif %} />
                 {% endif %}
             </div>
             <div class="card-content">
diff --git a/people/jvittinghoff.md b/people/jvittinghoff.md
index 6127cc2dad37f0529e0cd85f93eed476be1afb5d..56d1fe75c997af9d7af8ffe9ffd071029ff72a53 100644
--- a/people/jvittinghoff.md
+++ b/people/jvittinghoff.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ layout: person
 title: Johanna Vittinghoff
 fullname: Johanna Vittinghoff
 pic: public/images/jvittinghoff.jpg
+picwidth: 218
 
 role: support-staff
 start_date: 2017-03
diff --git a/people/meta/README.md b/people/meta/README.md
index bf7a232560dd36aac0bb7dd1bec8ade0416681e4..bfbb13488ed49f2a9ccbd5834e0bb9911470e627 100644
--- a/people/meta/README.md
+++ b/people/meta/README.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Each file needs some specific parameters:
  * **title** Name of the person, doubles as the page title
  * **fullname** Full name of the person, to be used in references
  * **pic** Relative link to a picture of the person
+ * **picwidth** If provided, overrides the default picture width of `300`
  
  * **role** one of *master-student*, *bachelor-student*, *phd-student*, *postdoc*, *faculty* or *guest*
  * **start_date** (optional) a start date (YYYY-MM) 
diff --git a/public/css/main.css b/public/css/main.css
index effad33e3b4e78db682c36c2c8090297ad9c9535..f47555f624a4190534c53e7b8e0e801829d40f00 100644
--- a/public/css/main.css
+++ b/public/css/main.css
@@ -171,4 +171,11 @@ ul.side-nav.fixed:hover {
 
 .legal-links a:hover {
   text-decoration: underline;
+}
+
+/* forcibly reset image size for specific pics*/
+.card-image > .picwidth {
+  width: initial !important;
+  height: initial !important;
+  margin: auto;
 }
\ No newline at end of file