sciencewoman | April 17, 2008A collaborator just sent me an in press copy of a paper that examines the -ology of my PhD field area.
Huh. I think I've just been scooped?!?!
I have a paper deriving from the last chapter of my dissertation that is just waiting for my co-authors to give their OKs before it is submitted to the very same journal. The in press paper and my paper use similar methodologies for somewhat different purposes. I want to use the field area as an example of process that I think is happening in other parts of the world; they use the field area to demonstrate the applicability of some analytical…
sciencewoman | April 16, 2008I've got a paper almost ready to be submitted. The co-authors are taking one last look, I'm making a few minor changes to figures, and I need to do the final formatting of the references. In order to do that last step, though, I need to decide to which journal the paper is going to be submitted.
There are two journals which would be appropriate for the paper. Both of them are well respected in the field and their impact factors are nearly identical. Both are run by large private publishing houses, one of which used to be involved in the arms trade. I haven't heard any negative mutterings…
sciencewoman | April 14, 2008Hmm...I have a nice mommy monday post all planned out in my head but I don't have tomorrow's lecture started or the discussion paper read or...
So I guess we'll all just have to wait. Maybe I'll get it posted later in the week.
skookumchick | April 13, 2008For the first weekend for quite a number of weeks, I've gotten to be at home. The other home, yes, but at least one of them. So it's been a weekend of odds and sods of various flavours:
We are avid NPR listeners and heard about this interesting story about fortnightly clubs, clubs that women joined in the 19th century (and still until today, apparently) to keep their intellect exercised. *Gasp*: they do research, for fun! How shocking.
I got to catch up (although only a little) on my Google Reader blogs, and got to hear the newest installment from Erin and Hig as they walk from Seattle to…
sciencewoman | April 12, 2008on the birth of her big baby boy. It sounds like she is recovering well from her c-section and is already getting the hang of sneaking work in during nap periods.
skookumchick | 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 here.
Now heading back to Illinois for the weekend. If I can finish getting myself packed, that is, and maybe beat back the regular let-down headache. But it's a beautiful day here, and will be a lovely drive.
sciencewoman | April 11, 2008
This is Minnow's baby quilt. I started working on it in my second trimester, just after turning in my dissertation. I was working on it the evening I went into labor, using some of the nervous anticipation and energy that I couldn't channel into any academic work. After Minnow arrived, the nearly-finished quilt sat out for a while, until I couldn't stand it anymore and hid it away for several months. Around Christmas, I decided that I really wanted to finish the quilt for Minnow's 1st birthday. I didn't quite make it in time, but now it is done, and I dare say it is fabulous. And I'm already…
skookumchick | April 9, 2008Ugh. 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, my seedlings need replanting, my hosts need thanking. It's now 8:30 am, and all I really want to do is go back to bed.
It will be a few days of catch-up, I guess. Best get started.
sciencewoman | April 9, 2008For the past several months, I've gotten almost weekly emails that read something like this:
Dear Professor,
I am Stu Dent from NotThisCountry, and I would like to study with you in Fall 2008. I have a BS in -ology from NotThisCountry Regional University, and I have an MS in -ology-subspecialty from NotThisCountry National University. (Optional: additional details about Stu Dent's background.) I have looked at your web page and I find your research interests very exciting. I am interested in (something that isn't my research interest, say snowmobiling) and I would like to study in your…
sciencewoman | April 8, 2008Before I even arrived at Mystery U, I was contacted by a student already in our PhD program. The student was about to start his third year in the program, and wanted to know whether I would be willing to advise him. The problem, he said, was that there was no faculty member who had his research specialty. When he told me what he was working on, I was aghast. I couldn't possibly advise him! I know nothing about his specialty either! But after meeting with him and learning more specifics about his situation, I agreed to be his advisor.
Now I just needed to advise him well enough to for him to…
skookumchick | April 7, 2008
We will have brussels sprouts come October, if this little sprout has anything to say about it...
sciencewoman | April 7, 2008I have some trepidation about raising a girl in today's culture. How do I navigate the over-princessing and over-sexualization of the preschool years without becoming a militant mom and always saying "no"? So far I've tried to strike a good compromise. Minnow has plenty of pink in her wardrobe, but no princess themed outfits. She has flowery dresses but more blue jeans. She has a slide, blocks, lots of cars, and now a kitchen, a doll, and a purse.
I don't want Minnow to feel forced into gender-stereotyped roles and it raises my hackles when people comment "Oh, she's such a girl..." Whatever…
skookumchick | 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.*
skookumchick | April 5, 2008I'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 integrate social justice into engineering education. I heard of a course called "Engineering and Social Justice" offered through engineering and sociology at Queen's University, a first-year course where projects were focused on social justice, year-long experiences for students in Engineers Without…
sciencewoman | April 4, 2008This morning, I loaded Minnow into the car, plugged in the iPod and started singing along to the children's songs as we backed out of the driveway. Twenty minutes later I realized that I had completely bypassed Minnow's daycare and was well on my way to campus. Oops!
When I finally made it to my office, I was pleased to find proofs for an article. Something to do during what is sure to be a long faculty meeting this afternoon. I'm dealing with lots of administrivia right now (registration, travel plans, conference organizing) and those sucked up my entire morning. With a solid afternoon of…
skookumchick | April 3, 2008Oddly 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 started this post to let me share some thoughts for other newbies heading in to their review, and solicit advice from the more senior folks on other ways to prepare and strategize. And then ScienceWoman requested this post. :-) So now I had better finish it and share.
About two weeks before our…
sciencewoman | April 3, 2008In the first week in January, I turned in a vita and accompanying statement for calendar year 2007...so essentially for the first 4 months of my faculty appointment. The materials have now been reviewed by a group of senior faculty in my department and a letter has been sent to the chair. The chair is looking things over and then will write his own letter. All of these things will go in my "permanent file." This annual review process is also used to provide a ranking of faculty members in the department and the ranked list is used to determine raises.
Sometime soon, I'll be getting a copy of…
skookumchick | April 3, 2008I'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?
I'll try to post on the conference while I'm away, pending internet connections.
skookumchick | April 1, 2008... over at Peggy Kolm's magnificent Women in Science blog. Go check it out. Well done, Peggy!