meeting great

Attending a meeting. Poster was today. Was well attended and very helpful people came by. Was VERY pleased to meet a bloggy friend. Thrilled, delighted, ecstatic!

Dude, I'm blowin' you off.

Because this is waaaaaaaay too late and very half-assed. Sorry, man.

Hi Mrs. Prof, [I hate when they call me Mrs. Prof]

My name is Stu Student an i just recently changed majors from [gym] to [science] major with [pre-doctoral health]. I need to schedule and appointment with you to see what my classes should be and what options i have because i just found out that the important semester is fall and that i cant take some of the big classes in the spring because everything is cumulative and since i didn't take any required courses this fall then i need to take certain classes that will help me prepare for next fall. let me know when i can meet you and schedule a meeting so i can register for next semester.

Critical period; priorities and gender

Saturday I complained becuase I had to work "on the side" on my poster for an upcoming meeting. I wanted to have it printed by Lab Meeting (a gathering of my research students) Wednesday 12:00p. I was also scheduled to give exams in my 2 courses at 10:00a and 1:00p Wednesday.

Monday I was working on the poster and the two exams. Tuesday became crunch time for the exams, since they had a very clear impending deadline and there would be NO delegating of exam writing. By Tuesday afternoon, I had an exam written for the 1:00 class, but it was about 40 questions too long. I hadn't touched the 10:00 exam. The poster had one more MAJOR flaw; the references were messed up beyond recognition (long story). I conceded defeat and e-mailed my lab that there would be no poster presentation at 12:00. I spent all evening post-kid-bedtime working on 10:00 exam. Then between 11:00a-1:00p I spent fixing and printing the 1:00 exam.

Now I can work on my poster.

Last night, I called hub, who was still in his office working on his poster. In my frustration I said, "You want to know why women are doing worse in science?!?! Here's an example: I am here cooking dinner for the children, and you are there perfecting your poster. If I could spend this time on MY poster, then I would be doing better in science!"

I didn't say it in a nasty way, but it wasn't taken well. He was completely "guilted" and keeps asking me if there is anything HE can do to help me with MY poster. So I found something. He can write the new citations in my "literature cited" block, while I cook dinner tonight for the kiddos. Thanks, Hon.

I will fuss with the details of the poster tonight post-kid-bedtime, then call it done and send it to the printer first thing in the AM. I know that there are flaws in it that will have to stay. I need to spend the next few days reviewing all the literature, since that will be my Achilles's heel (no time to read literature during the teaching year!)

gonna be the worst day of the semester

two exams to give tomorrow. both need to be written.

waaay overdue study guide for one class, taking impossibly long to make.

3-hour lab in afternoon.

poster to go to printer today. many small but important mistakes to correct. did get help from hubby who found detailed mistakes (like misnumbering of references), also elicited help from a professional mentor in another institution who found some important errors and asked cogent questions (e.g. about my statistical tests).

sent the kids to daycare without breakfast today. closed door, put a sign that says "I'm hiding from you. make an appt by e-mail" that might cost me on my teaching evals. gonna take the risk.

my body is responding to the stress in a way that is entirely incompatible with being able to work in a focused manner. I'll spare you the details.

addendum: even though it is crunch time, I'm still FEELING 100% better than last spring when I was fighting depression. I actually feel good right now. I'm happy to have all this stuff going on.

Bitching about the poster I'm making...

Poster Poster Poster. All day. I am jealous of my husband and his research professor butt who gets to make his poster while he is at work. Not me. I have to do mine on evenings and multiple weekends. Like a hobby scientist. Which is how I feel today, like a hobby scientist.

At a small liberal arts college that has under 10 faculty in the sciences, you can bet I'm the only one in my specialty. In fact it was culture shock to go from my post-doc to faculty here. In my post-doc there were as many scientists in my SUBspecialty as there are faculty at this entire school. So the problem isn't just the poster editing, its an overall problem of no feedback or collaboration on my work in general.

I DREAM of someone qualified check over my poster (or my work) like, oh, professional scientists do in their lab meetings. But no, I'm out here flappin' in the breeze. Hub will find the detailed mistakes for me like font mismatch-he's good at that- but can't help me with the big picture, such as logical flow. So I will do my best by myself, and pray that I don't embarrass myself or those who have invested a lot in my training (who will be there).

I've had a brilliant scientist (dean of a top med school) look at my work this month, but he is in the phase in his career where he is encouraging young scientists, not helping find the flaws in their work. Otherwise, my colleagues (great as they may be) have no time or clue to critique me. So I get to critique myself. See any problems with that?

I'm wishing that some of my blogosphere friends will come by my poster and give me a true and tough critique of my work, shred it to pieces (politely) before I submit a manuscript. I know you can't help me before I head to the printer. But if you are reading this and going to a very big meeting in the next few weeks (mid-November), then send me an e-mail and I will send you my poster number. Bring your shredder carried in your kid gloves :)

a little chemistry

this has been modified from its original version.

I'm sure this has been thought of extensively in the professordom, but working around 18-22 year olds means that your entire work day is spent with people at their most beautiful and most fit. So finding your students attractive seems natural. Young adults are attractive, full stop. Being attracted to some of them, I suppose, is understandable. Have you ever felt attracted to one of your students? This question does NOT ask if there was any change in your behavior due to the feelings.

Job Search trickle

Our department is currently conducting a search for a full-time, one-year position. I referred to it here. We only have 5 applications so far. We advertised in the Chronicle, too. Whaddup widdat?

Other news; foreign exchange student will babysit. Solves this prob.

Also, on a committee reviewing another faculty application for tenure. Sat down with superstar colleague who is on this committee and mine.  He says to me: I read your application. Wow! Makes me glad to be here.

Well, that makes ME happy.

Busy prepping for meeting. Cheers, y'all.