PlantPeople

PLANT // PEOPLE

Pondering plants and the people who study them.

Finding your lack of passion

5/15/2017

1 Comment

 
Nate Emery is a post-doctoral researcher in the Dept. Plant Biology at Michigan State University. Visit his website or follow him on Twitter for more info.

[Nate writes...] So much of life is figuring out what you want to do. As you go from one life step to the next, everyone asks "What are you going to do now?" or "What will you do with ___ degree?" More often is the case where you don't find "the answer" immediately, nor did you know what "your passion" was since age 5. 

Read More
1 Comment

Academia, it’s not you...

11/21/2016

7 Comments

 
[Anna writes...] It's me. Actually, it's the research. 

​I have known I would leave academia since Monday, February 25, 2013. It was my first year of grad school. A professor in my department’s wife had had a baby the day before, on Sunday. On Monday he came into work like it was a normal day.

Read More
7 Comments

Bad memory club: Gary Johnson, whatsherface, and me

10/26/2016

0 Comments

 
[Anna writes...] Let me start off by saying I firmly believe that Gary Johnson knows what “Aleppo” is and does, in fact, know many names of many foreign leaders. I believe this because when I listened to the recordings of those interviews, I had horrible comprehensive exam flashbacks.

Read More
0 Comments

Can an ESFJ survive in academia?

5/4/2016

5 Comments

 
​​Hello, my name is Anna, I’m a grad student, and I’m an ESFJ.

“Hi, Anna.”
​

Many don’t put a lot of stock into Meyers-Briggs and other personality tests, but the majority seem to gush over how accurately the tests “get them.” I’m with the majority.

Read More
5 Comments

Seriously, how great is teaching?

12/19/2015

0 Comments

 
I have discovered that two of my major complaints about graduate school are:
1.   I actually hate working alone, and
2.  There isn't any positive feedback. When you pass your comprehensive exams, or publish a paper (the "big" achievements), you're really just doing what you're supposed to do. You might get a pat on the back or a celebratory lunch with the lab, but really you're just relieved that you're not a bad student who didn't do those things.

Teaching, however, is the complete opposite.

Read More
0 Comments

May: My busy season

6/1/2015

0 Comments

 
Many jobs have a "busy season," whether it's final exams for students, winter holidays for retailers, or tax season for accountants. Mine is field season set-up in May.

Read More
0 Comments

Actually, I don't know anything about "Plant Biology" so don't ask me!

4/9/2015

5 Comments

 
"Oh, you're studying plant biology? How fortunate! I've been dying to get someone to take a look at my maple tree..."

I'm in my third year of my Ph.D. program at Michigan State, studying restoration ecology. Or, in layman's terms, how to put nature back together. It just so happens that ecological restoration more often than not targets the plant community, which molds so many of us restoration enthusiasts into plant community ecologists.  Ergo, my lab's home department, and the words on my future Ph.D. (God permitting) are "Plant Biology." The thing is, I don't know anything about plants.

Read More
5 Comments

    Andy on Twitter
    Anna on Twitter
    Nate on Twitter

    This site is no longer regularly updated, but if you're an early-career plant scientist with something to say, you're welcome (and encouraged!) to submit a post. Contact Anna Funk using this form for information.

    Archives

    July 2020
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Categories

    All
    Academia
    Anna's Research
    Birds
    Blog Updates
    Careers
    Climate Change
    Data & Statistics
    Ecological Restoration
    Ecology
    ESA
    Evolution
    External Posts
    Faith+Science
    Field Work
    Food
    Gardening
    GMOs
    Grad School
    Guest Post
    Meyers-Briggs
    Miley Cyrus
    Natural History
    Nature
    Outreach
    Plant Breeding
    Plants
    Pokémon
    Pokémon Go
    Published Research
    Science Communication
    Science News
    Scientific Meetings
    Scientists
    Teaching
    The Legend Of Zelda
    Twitter
    UpGoer Five
    Video Games
    Wildflowers
    Wine

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.