Confession

I get really nervous about contacting potential graduate advisors. I think this stems from a lack of response by professors when I've applied in the past, but whatever the reason, I just get myself all worked up that I'm not going to get a response.

However, I found a wonderfully reassuring article today. Being the good Google user that I am, I was trying to find something about the best way to contact a potential professor. I was hoping to find something like "address this point, this point, ask this question, and say thank you."

Instead, I found this:
As a former professor, I promise that most, if not all, professors will be delighted that someone is interested in their work and happy to hear from someone who wants to work with them. Now, if you are contacting the supreme expert at MIT or Yale or something, they might have inboxes full of these requests, but most professors who aren't the grand poobah of their fields are thrilled when people are interested. Occasionally you meet a stinker, but most will be complimented rather than annoyed. So keep that in mind. 
And remember, you haven't lost anything by expressing interest! Everyone likes to hear that what they do matters. You will get some no-replies, some wankers, and some great replies...just like any other situation like this, regardless of field. I think it is great you are following your bliss here, and don't let worries of sounding dumb (which you do not) scare you away from reaching out and making some new contacts. I think you will be very pleased at the conversations you are starting, and you should ignore the insecure blowhards who act like they are too important for you. After all, where would they be without students? They need you! 

Professors

Well, it's tough to figure out which professor I would want to study with and work for while doing my graduate work. I  would absolutely like to study whales. That's what I've always wanted to study, but lately, my interests are broadening to conservation models in general.

Regardless, this is the tentative list of who I'm going to try and contact to study with. **I've put in links to all the professors, so if you are interested in their research, click on a link!**

1) Dr. Samuel Wasser at University of Washington. According to his web page, he has been using hormone and DNA extraction techniques from large mammal scat. He had been using these techniques to help investigate illegal ivory trade. I've also seen him in the news for using this technique with the killer whale population in the San Juan Islands.

2) Dr. C. Scott Baker at Oregon State University. His Cetacean Conservation and Genetic Lab has been using mapping of the whale genome to improve our understanding of the impact of whaling. I would LOVE to work in this lab!

3) Dr. Daniel Roby at Oregon State University. He has many research interests in his lab, but the focus I'd be most interested in is wildlife restoration after oil spills. Brief insight into my psyche, oil spills have been troubling to me since watching Sampson and Sally when I was younger. At some point in my life, I would be interested in volunteering with veteranarians to help save animals affected by oil spills.

4) Dr. Dee Boersma at University of Washington. Now she has nothing to do with whales, but she has been doing studies on penguins for 25 years. The Penguin Project has been gathering data to contribute to the Wildlife Conservation Society, plus she has a research station in Argentina, so that's a bonus!

5) Dr. Julia Parrish at University of Washington. Her biography really intrigued me, especially that first sentence about not being able to decide what to study. I think that I'd really like her and her attitude towards science. Her lab is currently focused on seabird biology and conservation. Given my interest in teaching Concordia's tropical biology class, birds would be a great model organism to study.

So now that I've identified professors of interest, the next step is to track down recent research articles from each professor (or recent grad student of theirs) to familiarize myself with their work. My goal is to spend 1 day on each professor and give a more in-depth look at them on the blog. I'm using this blog as a tool to keep me on top of my stuff, so even if no one is reading this, I find it helpful. :)

Thanks guys!

Potential Job!

I was browsing around on my computer today after a very early Starbucks shift, and I happened upon a posted job at the Seattle Aquarium for a marine science educator. Now, if any of you know me, this is exactly the kind of job I want some day as a full-time career. Seriously. This is a dream job.

I just applied for it. I'm super nervous because I really want it! I am certainly qualified, but I know there are a lot of well-qualified, passionate people out there. I don't know what my chances are, but if you're the praying-type, I would definitely appreciate some prayers for an interview!

I know that was a lot of "I's" in the last few sentences... so perhaps we need some balance. Here is something humorous for you Harry Potter fans and Conan O'Brian fans! Silly Conan....

Back to Blogging

Well, after my hiatus from blogging (and actually a hiatus from the grad school search), I've made my triumphant return! Small update: I moved back up to the Seattle area, and I now am working at Starbucks. I like the job enough, but it has definitely become a motivation to go back to school. It's just validated that I'm not interesting in working for a big company, even at the entry level position. I loved working at Concordia University, which could definitely have been one reason I was complacent about going to grad school. I was quite comfortable. So quitting and moving was a good choice because it's giving me the motivation to actually pursue a career I really want. To quote Joey from Friends, I needed the fear! This is what he tells Rachel to get her to quit the coffeehouse. Essentially, my mom told me the same thing. I really really really really miss Portland and my friends and my job, but I know that this was the direction I needed to go.

I took the GRE (again...) on July 20 and just got my scores back today.
Verbal: score 570, percentile 80
Quantitative: score 650, percentile 59
Writing: score 5.5 (out of 6), percentile 94
I'm happy with my verbal and writing scores. I wish quantitative could have been higher, but it was definitely an improvement from the last time, so I guess I'll take it.

This week's goal: Identify 7 professors of interest at different schools and track down recent research papers for them. By next Monday, I want to trim this list down to 5 that I will contact. I need to be prepared when I contact them, so I need to be up-to-date on their current research projects.

Here it goes!

It's Been a While...

I just realized that I haven't actually posted anything since December, so I thought I should post an update!

The big update is that I am moving back to the Seattle area in May! I've already told my boss, my lease ends at the end of April, and I'm going to move into an apartment with my sister. I'm not going for any particular reason other than I need a change. I don't have a job and I have no grad school plans as of yet.

The idea behind moving back is that I'll be closer to opportunities. I plan on finding a job that pays the bills (as dull and mundane as it might be), but I'll also spend time volunteering at the Seattle Aquarium and attending various symposiums and lectures at UW. I'm hoping/thinking that this will expose me to new people and ideas of a graduate program that I want to enter or potentially jobs that could come up.

I have loved living in Portland. I've loved working at Concordia. But I also know I need something new and different to spark my interest. I have been so comfortable in my routine that I'm not exploring other opportunities. This move will push me to do so.

THEREFORE! Those of you who live in Seattle(ish), prepare to spend some quality time with me. :) For those of you who still live in Portland, come visit me!!!! And I will probably end up changing my blog a bit. It'll probably just have something to do with adventures in Seattle and my new life... we shall see! Stay tuned!