Jul 2Navigating the Academic Postdoc Job MarketAlmost exactly one year ago, in July of 2022, I defended my Ph.D. thesis in physics. After the grueling pace of the first four years, the last two years of my Ph.D. flew by, and before I knew it I was in a precarious situation: I had to find a…Academia8 min readAcademia8 min read
Jan 11, 2022An Informal Guide for Ph.D. Interning During the Semester via the F-1 CPTIf you are reading this article, chances are that you are a Ph.D. student in the U.S. studying on an F-1 visa, and you are considering doing an internship during the Fall/Spring semester and are looking for advice on whether that is: a) possible, and b) feasible and sensible. Since…Internships8 min readInternships8 min read
Jan 12, 2021The Earth-bending Scale of the Great LakesOn a gloomy afternoon last week, some friends of mine and I drove from Lafayette, IN to the Indiana Dunes State Park. It was a bit too cold and dry to be outdoors for my taste. …Great Lakes7 min readGreat Lakes7 min read
Published inThe Faculty·Aug 27, 2020Finding Meaning in Your Ph.D. StrugglesThe tattooing has taken only seconds, but Lale’s shock makes time stand still. He grasps his arm, staring at the number. How can someone do this to another human being? …PhD13 min readPhD13 min read
Published inBeingWell·Aug 2, 2020Member-onlyCuriosity, Ignorance, and How to Spot PseudoscienceAbout 3.7 billion years ago, on a small blue planet orbiting a humble star in a moderately-sized galaxy, the conditions so happened to be right for prokaryotic bacterial life to emerge. Through all the ups and downs that planet earth has been through since then, life has not only managed…Science13 min readScience13 min read
Published inThe Faculty·Jul 18, 2020What to Look for in a Ph.D. Advisor“Is he ghosting me?” “Is she mad at me? Did I say something wrong?” “Am I good enough? Does s/he even recognize and appreciate what I’m doing?” Although these sound like the thoughts of someone worried if their partner/spouse is mad at them, these are also the kinds of thoughts…PhD11 min readPhD11 min read
