Hello everyone,
This is a very short blog and is not the star of this weeks posting. I wanted to dedicate this one to a research update since I have not written one in a while. If you go to the other post I released this week "We Are Going Back To Mercury!!!" you can learn about a mission to Mercury called BepiColombo.
End of the Summer Update (Very Late!!)
Well...this is awkward. Already October, and I have not given an end of summer research update. I do apologize for my tardiness and will strive to do better in the near future. At the end of summer, I was met with the realization of applying for post-doctoral positions and finishing up my PhD thesis. Right now, I am still on track to finish on time. However, everything could change before the New Year if I am not careful. To stay on track, I need to have my second and third chapter drafts finished so I can focus on my introduction and conclusion chapter. I have my third chapter ready for publication, but I have had to put my second chapter on hold while I figure out how to present the data and structure the manuscript. I recently got some map polygons that are essential for part of my work quantifying lava flow surface roughness from radar data. With it, I can resume working on my second chapter and finishing it on time. I do plan to resume writing my second chapter next week after I have gotten a hold on my post-doctoral grant proposals I am writing.
Reality Hits Me - Applying For PostDoc Positions and Grants
My post-doctoral applications are as challenging as I anticipated. Now, I never went in with the mind set thinking it was going to be easy, writing a research proposal from scratch in a matter of days, but I have found it a lot harder to refine a science question that has not been investigated before and is ACTUALLY a science question and not an objective. This has led me to collect a substantial number of papers to read to figure out what my science questions are going to be. I have had to think of science questions outside of my PhD research topic, which I have found challenging. I have started to consider studying other planetary bodies such as Mercury and Venus, but I am still building confidence in applying the skill sets I have to developing a science question.
I have one idea to test field instrumentation that can be implemented for lunar exploration to identify and distinguish un-shocked and shocked anorthosite samples. Lunar anorthosite are labelled as a high priority sample because analysis of these samples can address high priority science goals including understanding the evolution of the lunar crust and interior stratigraphy, and impact cratering processes on an airless planetary body. Another idea is evaluating the evolution of explosive volcanism on the Moon and Mercury by analyzing the morphology, mineralogy and chemical properties of pyroclastic deposits. The latter idea is still very young in terms of constructing a solid question and requires me to complete more readings to further refine it. The former, I am already writing about it for a NASA Postdoctoral Program application as it has gotten interest from a potential postdoc supervisor at NASA Goddard. I am still learning the ropes when it comes to research proposal writing, and I know I am far from saying I am comfortable writing them. One thing I can say for certain. October, is going to be an intense month. Probably on par or more than the weeks leading up to my PhD comprehensive exam.
So writing is going to take up most of my time this month...I definitely fit in with those PhD student memes where it shows how the world perceives you vs how you perceive yourself.
Take Away Message of Encouragement - For anyone who is in the same position as me or will be in a years time, never limit yourself to opportunities that only tick off each one of your skills and experiences. You should expand your horizons and never be afraid to enter a different research topic where your skill set can compliment the project. For example, I responded to an announcement from the Open University looking for a postdoc to analyze volatiles in lunar samples. The position ideally wanted someone with experience using a geochemical machine I had never used, but I had the background knowledge and experience with other machines that could prove to be beneficial. I got a response from the principal investigator saying they unfortunately wanted someone who could start this December (I am expected to finish my PhD in August 2021). However, they continued to say in the email that they would be happy to talk with me about fellowships I could apply for to combine remote sensing data and laboratory analysis to study lunar samples. You never know what might happen when you reach out, so never limit yourself. Expand your mind and you will make connections where you never thought you would.
- Take away message is combined advice from Alyssa Werynski (ex-MSc student in our lab) and my supervisor Dr Catherine Neish
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