It’s been 10 years, and I still get asked about once a month why I chose to become vegan. Clearly people are interested!
“Why would anyone be vegan?! Haven’t you heard of cheese?"–they say. Well, here, I summarize my experience into 6 lessons that I’ve learned since I changed my diet.
Read MoreFor the past 6 years, I’ve been a MSc/PhD student in the Physics and Astronomy Department at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. Next month I’ll defend my thesis, and move to Baltimore, MD to begin working as a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University. I find that big life transitions like this are good times to reflect. On top of this, my current department asked me to write a profile piece for the annual newsletter, so I thought I’d take it as an opportunity to reflect back on my experiences and what brought me to this career in researching the origins of life. I’ve pasted that piece into the blog post below, I hope you enjoy it!
Read MoreI’m writing this blog post as an autobiography. There may be some advice sprinkled in, but this isn’t an guide on how to successfully snatch a postdoc position. This is just my story, take it as you will.
Let’s start at the end of the story, like a Tarantino film. The happy ending: I was lucky enough to get 3 postdoc offers; one of which was a big fellowship and my top choice. Now, let’s roll back time.
Read MoreI recently took a few online implicit association tests (IATs). These tests were originally developed by researchers at Harvard to explore the roots of unconscious thinking, and were later offered to the public so that individuals can gain more awareness of their unconscious preferences and beliefs. There is an IAT for race, sexuality, weight, age, gender in science, and more. I heard about IATs a few times in the past and was recently prompted to take one when I saw someone post their results.
Read MoreSo you’re planning on attending grad school in physics and astronomy. Maybe you’re flush with confidence and belonging, maybe you’re anxious and worried you’re lacking in some manner, or maybe you’re just “whatevs” about the this whole grad school thing. Whatever your comfort, you should be prepared to experience a few of these things:
Read More
