skookumchick
Posts by this author
April 11, 2008
Today our new president, France Cordova, was officially inaugurated. I got to carry the banner for the College of Engineering - how cool is that? And I didn't even fall over.
Thanks to the police officer who took this photo, as we waited to go in the hall. More photos of the inauguration are…
April 9, 2008
Ugh. After conferences, I'm tired and want to go home; but then I get home and am overwhelmed by what I have to do to catch up. I got in at 10:30 pm last night; my inbox is jam-packed from people who want stuff from me, my fridge is empty, my calendar is back to being filled by disparate meetings…
April 7, 2008
We will have brussels sprouts come October, if this little sprout has anything to say about it...
April 6, 2008
Seeing this amaryllis bloom in my living room immediately makes me feel calmer... but actually I'm traveling now, and don't get to see it in person. *Sigh.*
April 5, 2008
I'm sitting in panels and sessions at this great conference on Engineering, Social Justice and Peace which is the 7th annual conference of this kind. Here are only some of the snippets of what I've been seeing and hearing:
I heard yesterday of exciting and courageous curricular attempts to…
April 3, 2008
Oddly enough, I've just come from my annual review this week, which, in my department, is a little interview one has with the department head to help him determine merit pay. Even though I prodded my academic family members for advice on how to go in to this, I found myself unprepared. So I…
April 3, 2008
I'm heading out tomorrow to the Engineering, Social Justice and Peace Conference being held at Smith College this weekend, and then two days in the area to try to meet with students and talk about our graduate program in engineering education. Anyone going to be in the area and up for a meet-up?…
April 1, 2008
... over at Peggy Kolm's magnificent Women in Science blog. Go check it out. Well done, Peggy!
April 1, 2008
Oh lord, what fools these mortals be. Especially that one down there named Alice.
I've had two particular moments of foolishness in the last few days that have smacked me upside the head. And because the Scientiae theme for April (shockingly) is "fools and foolishness," I feel compelled to share…
March 29, 2008
For Earth Hour, I had hoped we'd get a chance for a walk in the gloaming, but the day got away from us. My husband was just getting back from his run (alone) and I was just getting dinner started at 8 pm our time. We lit candles as it got too dark to see, and he did the crossword while I made…
March 29, 2008
Remember tonight is Earth Hour to highlight our increasing global warming crisis. Join millions of other people in turning off your lights for an hour starting at 8 pm in your time zone.
Here on the western edge of the Eastern Time zone, it's still light at 8. So my husband and I might go for a…
March 28, 2008
Ages ago people asked me what my research was actually about. Well, here's a synopsis of my PhD work as a starter.
I got my PhD in Industrial Engineering at the University of WIsconsin-Madison, and a PhD minor in women's studies. I was interested in how we keep using two ideas to understand women'…
March 26, 2008
I've noticed my posts seem to kill the comments and conversation. Sorry about that. I realize this is really part of the gig of the bigger megaphone, and maybe blogging about stuff people don't want to comment on. Or that they find boring. Or that are too long. Or that are posted on days when…
March 26, 2008
I've survived my spring break; now I have my first week back, while my husband tries to survive his.
Week of March 17-23Monday we moved the appliances and all the kitchen stuff back into the kitchen, packed up all my stuff from the previous week, all my husband's stuff for the forthcoming week (his…
March 26, 2008
*Whew.* I have been slammed down by work and life, absolutely no room for blogging. Today I get a breather, and so you get an update.
Week of March 10-19
My spring break started out pretty well. Monday I had a phone conference with people I am co-authoring a paper with for the Frontiers in…
March 21, 2008
Not only has it been INSANE in my job this week, my computer has been in the shop since yesterday morning, and won't be back in my hands until Monday morning. If then.
Of course, part of the recent insanity has perhaps been BECAUSE my computer has been in the shop. And they've been installing the…
March 18, 2008
I had thought that I was getting on top of things over spring break. My folks came to visit us in the Illinois house, we refinished our kitchen floor and made umpteen home repairs, and drove back to W. Lafayette yesterday. My first full day back at work has been outrageously busy, I have a full…
March 13, 2008
On Monday, I posted two parts to my ethnic story as a white person in the US, and they prompted a variety of comments. Rather than respond in the comments, I thought I'd write another post.
First, I want to thank the people who took up the challenge to write their own stories. DH, grad student,…
March 11, 2008
Thanks to those of you who posted on your ethnic stories. I'm thinking about replies, but need some time to do so.
In the meantime, I've started a couple of online communities for people doing engineering education research - if this sounds like you, check out:
a Facebook group on engineering…
March 10, 2008
In an attempt to do my part to displace whiteness from "normal" in terms of thinking about diversity and science, I'm telling my ethnic story. This is part II; part I is here.
More below the fold...
The story of my mom's side of the family is quite different from my dad's. My mom's parents…
March 10, 2008
Some events combined last week to make me feel like ScienceBlogs needs to have a serious discussion about race and science. Here's a place to start - how do white people tell their own racial or ethnic stories?
More below the fold...
So last week, Monday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon, I…
March 9, 2008
Last week was a bear with 2.5 days at my university's Multicultural Forum, a day of meetings, and meeting with the geothermal people on Friday, finally making it back home (the other home) about 5:00 pm Friday afternoon.
However, now I'm on spring break! So while my blogging has been light over…
March 2, 2008
It is GORGEOUS outside here in West Lafayette. About 60 degrees and sunny! I'm quite losing my head.
Evidence of this is that as many of my doors and windows that I can open are indeed open. I know the weather will turn later in the week, but for now, I can turf out a little winter mustiness…
March 1, 2008
The first anniversary of Scientiae is now posted over at Rants of a Feminist Engineer. Pick up your coffee or tea mug, settle down with your down comforter, and prepare for a good read.
Also, speaking of birthdays, our very own ScienceWoman had a birthday last week. Sorry we missed it, SW, and…
February 28, 2008
I just got home from work about half an hour ago. It's been another long day, although it really started at about 10 am in a coffee shop even if it ended at 9 pm in my office. Anyway. I came home after an hour and a half of talking with a colleague about our respective experiences in our…
February 28, 2008
Trying to recruit grad students into a PhD program where the PhD is BRAND NEW can be tough. In fact, I need the Internets's help.
So here I am, a new faculty member in a new department (sorry, sorry, SCHOOL), eager to do cool research and with startup money to burn.
Okay then. Where are the…
February 27, 2008
The Scientiae theme for the anniversary edition is "renewal." I've been in a crabby mood for a couple of days, and haven't wanted to write anything about it because it would be crabby. But as the clock has ticked down, I realized that renewal is perhaps what I need to write about to help pull me…
February 22, 2008
We've got a week before posts are due for the March Scientiae, the theme of which (if you choose to use it) is RENEWAL. Neither ScienceWoman or I have written a post on/for this yet either, so we're all in the late boat together. But this is the anniversary of Scientiae, so feel free to submit…
February 21, 2008
I am terribly neglectful of my role as engineer on this blog - I COMPLETELY FORGOT about E-Week, that's National Engineers Week to the rest of you.
Peggy at Women in Science and SciBling Zuska have written good posts about it, so go read those for your fill of E-Week Goodness.
I confess though,…