Monday, November 06, 2006

Optimism

I haven't posted in almost a full moon cycle because I have been super busy with research (and grading lit reviews and data descriptions for my grad students' methods papers). In the last month, I've written a chapter for an edited volume on pension reform in Latin America that will be published with Oxford UP, and revised two papers to submit them to journals. By the end of the week, I expect to be on my way to having 3 papers under review and a book manuscript only a couple of weeks from being 90% done, as all harding working untenured folks should. All this while also trying to recruit students for my new summer study abroad next summer in Monterrey.

This year has been a good one so far, I've written three new papers that are all under review (or will be soon), revised one other, and written (100+ pages) or revised almost all of my book manuscript. This semester has been especially hectic, but I am also very excited about my research and what I'm working on. I've got a couple of new projects with co-authors slated for the spring, and I'm looking forward to those, too. In the spring, I'll have a one course reduction (much to the dismay of some of our grad students, I understand, since a rumor had been going around that I would be offering a course they could take), and it'll be great to focus even more energy on my research. I haven't felt this optimistic about my research in a while, partly because I've usually had new preps or responsibilities coming my way.

Things are good for me. Now, a post about how they are not good for Mexico....

posted by Michelle @ 10:56 AM,

2 Comments:

At 11/07/2006 3:39 PM,  Greg Weeks said...

Cool. When are you scheduled to go up?

 

At 11/08/2006 11:40 AM,  Michelle said...

I'm in my 4th year. So in May of 2008, I believe, I put together my packet to send to reviewers.

Before this semester, I always had at least one new prep (well, technically, I have a new prep this semester, too, but many of the items are things I taught in our grad IPE seminar last year), and felt like teaching kept me from my research.

This fall, the balance has clearly tipped the other way. Not only do I find that I have more time for my research, I find that I'm enjoying it more and get restless when I have to put it down/stop to teach/grade papers. It reminds me of why I chose this profession...teaching is fun, but the research is exciting and the real draw. Until now, the teaching has been a bit overwhelming, especially with all the new preparations in areas unrelated to my research.

 

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