Off and running

Had my first committee meeting today, and I'm in. Committee liked my proposal, and I've definitely got my work cut-out for me. I've got a pretty set schedule for these first couple years, but the last part of the project is somewhat open ended. I've got a dozen ideas for where I could take things, most of which involve sequencing and looking for correlations with habitat characteristics.

The New Zealand system is like the European PhD system. As an American student I would've spent two years taking classes, then had a qualifying exam where I gave a research proposal and answered general science questions, then I'd have three years to complete my project. Here, you start your project right off, after giving your proposal (which I did today). One year later you have a meeting to check your progress and present your lit review, then it's two more years to complete your dissertation.

Anyway, on top of a great meeting, it turns out a pop science piece I wrote about what I'll be doing got published in the latest angling magazine for my lake. Email me for a pdf of the article (too big to post here). I'm stoked to get the opportunity to explain what I'm doing to the people who will use the information. The bulletin goes out to all the anglers who buy licenses for the lake, so it's a good opportunity to let folks know what genetics and ecology can do for them (and hopefully why it's cool!).