The Seven Deadly Sins of Conferences
Past the construction site, across the deserted parking lot, and through the shrubbery, I finally arrived at the front entrance of Northeastern University for my first academic conference. Over the next two days, with 270 brilliant minds, I learned a lot about machine learning and healthcare. More importantly, however, I discovered how to make the […]
We Believe in Coffee
Coffee as a source of deeply individual and social experiences for our generation
How do you take it? Just black? Add almond milk? Maybe a cold brew (but definitely not iced coffee, that’s too acidic)? How about a pour-over (but not a French press, you hate the grit)? Let’s get a little fancier. How about a flat white (but please not a latte—you want those espresso notes to […]
Saying Goodbye
The sadness and pride of bidding farewell to a long-time collaborator and friend
This week, I got to celebrate Brandon’s defense. For four years we worked together, studying for quals, desperately rebuilding accelerators, taking data for hours … and now he is done. I helped him prepare for his defense, sat in the front row, and even got nervous as he started. It hits me now that as […]
Mentee vs. Minion
Working with undergrads as a graduate student
I know from personal experience how much an undergraduate research experience can shape your future. At the end of my junior year in undergrad at Swarthmore College, I was struggling with the idea of what to do after college and how my major (physics, at the time) would help me achieve that. That summer, […]
PhD Student vs. PhD Candidate
How I use gentle, digital nudges to stay current in the post-exams world
Do you know the difference between a PhD student and a Ph.D. candidate? A candidate is someone who has fulfilled all the requirements for the degree except the dissertation. I’m a historian (see my earlier post about being a humanist at MIT), so my path to candidacy differs a bit from other doctoral tracks at […]
