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Semester's End and Sudden Travel
May. 11th, 2007 03:01 pmWell, the semester is now over, and with it, my year as an astronomy professor (although I'll be hyping my astronomy experience in future job applications, so I might return to the subject someday). I got some very nice unprompted compliments (Eastfield only gives out student surveys in the Fall.)
I now have three weeks off until I start teaching in June, and as part of that break, I'm going to a complex systems conference at UIUC in Champaign, IL. I only really decided I was going a couple of days ago: I heard about it a month ago, but the registration fee was steep and I wanted to apply for a registration waiver. However, it looked like I would have to define my current research and my interest in complex systems, which was somewhat intimidating: I'm not sure my research fits into the category of complex systems, although it's probably a closer fit than most. That is a major goal of this meeting, which makes it more useful than the more generic meeting I went to in Abilene in March: I need to figure out whether I fit into the complex systems field, and where, and who I might consider to be my "peers". Networking, in other words.
So anyway, I finally emailed the fellow at UIUC, and he gave me the waiver, and I've booked a hotel and flight (yuck: the worst part of living in Texas is having to fly everywhere). I'm flying through Chicago, so I'm visiting my old church on my way in, and visiting Zach on my way out. Travel is somewhat unsettling, particularly last minute, particularly on airlines (it's not the up-in-the-air bit, it's the a) crowds and claustrophobia, b) the expense, and c) the security and ridiculous restrictions and the feeling like you are being manipulated and hoodwinked and cheated at every turn. Oh, and did I mention that I'm booked in middle seats out and back? I wish I was physically capable of curling up into a fetal ball (I'm too big and inflexible), because that's what I would do during the entire flight. Sitting next to strangers and having them touch me...BLECCH.)
I have to write a 30-minute talk in the next couple of days, but I've just finished a paper on the subject, I've given a similar talk before, and I've been giving 90-minute talks twice a week for the past semester, so it shouldn't be too difficult.
Well, best get started on that last.
I now have three weeks off until I start teaching in June, and as part of that break, I'm going to a complex systems conference at UIUC in Champaign, IL. I only really decided I was going a couple of days ago: I heard about it a month ago, but the registration fee was steep and I wanted to apply for a registration waiver. However, it looked like I would have to define my current research and my interest in complex systems, which was somewhat intimidating: I'm not sure my research fits into the category of complex systems, although it's probably a closer fit than most. That is a major goal of this meeting, which makes it more useful than the more generic meeting I went to in Abilene in March: I need to figure out whether I fit into the complex systems field, and where, and who I might consider to be my "peers". Networking, in other words.
So anyway, I finally emailed the fellow at UIUC, and he gave me the waiver, and I've booked a hotel and flight (yuck: the worst part of living in Texas is having to fly everywhere). I'm flying through Chicago, so I'm visiting my old church on my way in, and visiting Zach on my way out. Travel is somewhat unsettling, particularly last minute, particularly on airlines (it's not the up-in-the-air bit, it's the a) crowds and claustrophobia, b) the expense, and c) the security and ridiculous restrictions and the feeling like you are being manipulated and hoodwinked and cheated at every turn. Oh, and did I mention that I'm booked in middle seats out and back? I wish I was physically capable of curling up into a fetal ball (I'm too big and inflexible), because that's what I would do during the entire flight. Sitting next to strangers and having them touch me...BLECCH.)
I have to write a 30-minute talk in the next couple of days, but I've just finished a paper on the subject, I've given a similar talk before, and I've been giving 90-minute talks twice a week for the past semester, so it shouldn't be too difficult.
Well, best get started on that last.
