Jennifer is a 6th year PhD student (recently defended!) from PEEC working in the Dalling and Heath Labs. Her research focuses on how fungal and bacterial communities influence ecosystem nutrient and carbon cycles. For her dissertation, she studied how environmental conditions, wood characteristics, and fungal and bacterial communities interact to influence wood decay rate.
What have you been working on this past week?
Last week started with me defending my dissertation! My Mom Jackie, Stepdad Greg, and Aunt Jeanne came for my defense. It was great to see so many friends at my talk and to celebrate together! On Wednesday, I signed new members for GEO at the TA Graduate Academy for College Teaching. Then, I relaxed by going to dinner and doing the first puzzle I’d done in a long time with my Mom and my husband Ian. Later in the week, I worked on revisions for a paper that are due soon. On Saturday, the week ended with snow, and we made a snowman!
Are you a member of other student organizations?
I am a member of the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO). The GEO is the union for all graduate students at UIUC. Graduate students in the GEO bargain the contract for TAs and GAs, help resolve conflicts related to the contract, and provide information to all graduate students about healthcare, student rights, and more. I am a steward, which means that I keep grad students in GEEB up to date on GEO events, do outreach for GEO, and go to biweekly meetings with graduate students from across campus. I’ve been GEO steward for a long time, and I’m looking for other people from GEEB to get involved in GEO before I leave for my postdoc. There’s a way for everyone to help out the GEO, so let me know if you are interested!
Here’s the only picture I took while at TA Grad Academy. There are so many good new t-shirts in so many nice colors. But really, I am involved with GEO, because graduate students need an organization that fights for us!
What have you been listening to recently?
I listen to soundtracks and scores while I work. Recently I’ve been listening to The Flash Season 4 score by Blake Neely and the score of Pirates of the Caribbean 5 by Geoff Zanelli. Both scores are fantastic. They got me through finishing my dissertation!
How do you unwind after a long day of work?
Ian, and I share everything about our day with each other, and then we hang out with friends or watch Brooklyn 99.
Do you have any interesting office decorations?
I don’t have any interesting office decorations at work, but this plush Captain America is sitting on my dinner table. I work at home at my dinner table quite a bit, so this should count. This guy encouraged me through finishing my dissertation. I like him, because he has a serious and focused expression.
A view of your week:
This is the snowman that my Mom, Ian, and I built on Saturday. Wishing you a happy (less icy) semester!
