I've been busy TAing and trying to graduate so blog posts have been rare. I hope I will have more time to write for fun rather than work soon, but as promised posts will be sporadic at best till I am on my way to graduating.
I've been debating my next step after graduation. I really enjoy teaching and interacting with college students, so I think I am going to focus on getting a teaching job. That said, I am open to doing more research in a post-doc position, but I would like some more training on teaching college courses. Not sure what kind of opportunities for a 50/50 research/teaching post-doc exists, but I'm looking.
Part of why I want to teach is because I have had some great teachers. From time to time I want to use this blog to honor the teachers that have made a major impact on me. Today it will be easy since I will be linking to an article. Mr. Reise was my Bio Honors teacher. He's inspired my teaching style in many ways and is the person behind SPONCH (because CHONPS isn't a word).
http://thecarillon.org/index.php/2012/11/28/rieses-pieces/
Sulfer Phosphorous Oxygen Nitrogen Carbon Hydrogen: This blog will discuss science, evolution, and life and how these relate to microbiology and science education. I will also expand on science topics covered in podcasts and other media.
About Me
- SponchPhD
- PhD in #Microbiology interested in #therapeutics, #drugresistance, #science #education, geek/nerd culture, and podcasts.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Here goes nothing...
For my first blog entry I'll provide background on who I am and what I hope this blog will be.
For now, I'll be keeping myself mostly anonymous. I am a grad student in California trying to get a PhD in Microbiology, furiously trying to complete my dissertation in the very near future. My research interests include new drugs to fight resistant microbes, how resistance starts, virology, microbiology, and ways to use microbes to our benefit. Science education and translating scientific research to the public are some of my other interests, mostly because scientists are often not good at it.
While I work I like to listen to podcasts. I often hear science-y discussions, where research is discussed, but not in depth. With this blog I will try to further discuss science, especially microbiology, I hear on podcasts and in current events. I'll try to make it so that anybody can understand the science behind whatever topic inspires me. Science isn't necessarily seen as cool, even as it has never been "cooler" to be a geek/nerd. I think this presents a unique opportunity to open science up to more people.
Also, I'll discuss grad school and the transition from PhD candidate to full fledged PhD/wizard (you get robes and a hat!). That said, entries may be sporadic as I attempt to graduate, but I'll try to write a new blog entry per week.
So why SPONCH? It is way more fun to say than CHONPS (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/CHONPS)
Also I just found out that urbandictionary.com defines sponch as: ("verb) to engage in nerd-like behavior by spouting knowledge about totally irrelevant or uniteresting [sic] topics; to cement your lack of skills at social interaction by demonstrating your proviciciency [sic] in an obscure area of study."
Unfortunately accurate description of a lot of academics like me. I hope those who give this blog a chance enjoy my sponching.
For now, I'll be keeping myself mostly anonymous. I am a grad student in California trying to get a PhD in Microbiology, furiously trying to complete my dissertation in the very near future. My research interests include new drugs to fight resistant microbes, how resistance starts, virology, microbiology, and ways to use microbes to our benefit. Science education and translating scientific research to the public are some of my other interests, mostly because scientists are often not good at it.
While I work I like to listen to podcasts. I often hear science-y discussions, where research is discussed, but not in depth. With this blog I will try to further discuss science, especially microbiology, I hear on podcasts and in current events. I'll try to make it so that anybody can understand the science behind whatever topic inspires me. Science isn't necessarily seen as cool, even as it has never been "cooler" to be a geek/nerd. I think this presents a unique opportunity to open science up to more people.
Also, I'll discuss grad school and the transition from PhD candidate to full fledged PhD/wizard (you get robes and a hat!). That said, entries may be sporadic as I attempt to graduate, but I'll try to write a new blog entry per week.
So why SPONCH? It is way more fun to say than CHONPS (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/CHONPS)
Also I just found out that urbandictionary.com defines sponch as: ("verb) to engage in nerd-like behavior by spouting knowledge about totally irrelevant or uniteresting [sic] topics; to cement your lack of skills at social interaction by demonstrating your proviciciency [sic] in an obscure area of study."
Unfortunately accurate description of a lot of academics like me. I hope those who give this blog a chance enjoy my sponching.
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