*Drumroll*
DR. SCICURIOUS.
(aka Dr. Sci, Dr. Curious, TOTES AWESOME PHD)
*fanfare*
(Thank you, I’ll be here all week. Try the veal.)
That is right, these past few weeks when Sci’s blogging has been…a bit light, have not been due to a much needed vacation to some far away island filled with mai-tais (though that would have been very nice). Rather, these weeks have been devoted to…THE DISSERTATION. But now it is done, and Sci is a PhD. For something that Sci has spent a good six years of her life on…it feels very unreal. Sci keeps looking around and wondering where the “Doctor” is. It is rather more of a first step on the huge journey of my scicurious career, one that Sci imagines is not going to be straight or very normal. But it’s still exciting.
It’s so exciting, Sci could SING!!
(I’m doing SCIENCE and I’m still alive)
Now, as some of you may be aware if you’ve written a thesis (dissertation, whatever) before, there’s a section at the beginning titled “acknowledgments”. This is where the student thanks the Academy, their PI, and all the people who helped them get where they are today. Ok, they thank some of them. There’s no limit, but it is not generally “done” to be informal or funny or in any way overly personal in one’s acknowledgments at my Uni.
And Sci doesn’t think this is sufficient. She thanked a few important people, but didn’t really get to do the kind of acknowledgments section that she wanted.
But that’s why Sci has a blog, now isn’t it.
And here is Sci’s REAL acknowledgment section.
Blah blah blah PI, blah blah committee, blah blah blah department. w00t. Seriously, my PI and my committee have been astounding, and my department has given me an incredible education. But they were mentioned in the formal acknowledgments. And my lab deserves a special note of awesome. They gave Sci this:
(Note the frosting rodents, complete with frosting rodent footprints and frosting rodent poo)
Ok then. Here we go.
First, I want to thank all y’all, the readers. You might not think you do anything special, but starting the blogging that eventually produced Scicurious and Neurotopia as it is today has helped me in so many ways. I have met amazing, exciting people, I have learned TONS of new things. I have learned how to really communicate with people. And most importantly, I re-discovered my love and enthusiasm for science (“SCIENCE!“) when I thought I had lost it. Wouldn’t have happened without you guys.
To my blog friends and mentors, you are the best, and too numerous to count. I could not have done this without you AT ALL. You give me a sense of humor and a sense of perspective, and lots and lots of pithy comments. You were my support, and you never once doubted that I was smart enough to do this (Sci thinks that part of graduating with a PhD entails being entirely certain that you WON’T). I owe many people many beers.
A few specific shout-outs:
– Evil Monkey: my co-blogger and digital older brother, thank you for poking and prodding me through these past few weeks. You may not see him out front much, but behind the scenes, Evil Monkey has dragged Sci toward her PhD these past few weeks with a will of iron. And promises of beer. I seem to remember promises of beer…
– Leigh, Ambivalent Academic, Dr. John, the Digital Cuttlefish, my friend MicroRat (best work buddy ever), and everyone else who was there for me, thank you for reading and giving me new insights.
– NeuroPhD (you know who you are), who sent me an amazing Thesis care package! BEST THING EVER. Though I still don’t know what to do with the pop-rocks, they may require some science done to them…and she also read over some sections, and offered support, and was generally amazing.
– To a professor at my tiny undergrad SLAC, thank you for convincing me to go to grad school, and for making me love the action potential. You were the first one to tell me, and believe, that Sci could be a scientist. And your letter of reference that you let me read may be one of the truest things about me every written.
– To my running partner: thanks for knowing when I needed a long run. Nothing like a good run to talk through some science problems. I’ll see you for the marathon.
– Thanks so much to the really late night security guard who always walked Sci to her car every night (not the safest area round here), no matter what the weather. He also remembered what day I was turning my thesis in, and rooted for me all the way, we may have done a happy dissertation dance when it was done. Sci is totally baking him a cake.
– Mr. SiT deserves more thanks than anyone can give him. He took care of me, took on the brunt of finding an apartment near new post-doc uni, cooked for me, did my TAXES (THANK YOU!!!), encouraged me, and was proud of me. That he is proud of me is the best part. And he got me an AWESOME SCIENCEY NECKLACE that Sci completely rocked at her defense.
– My parents, Who’s Your Daddy and Sci-Mom (ok, I think she’s been around as Who’s your Momma once or twice). Thank you for constantly supporting me and listening to me whine. (Ok, EVERYONE on the list deserves thanks for listening to me whine) Thank you for believing in me for all of the past six years. And thanks for the english muffins. They were delicious. 🙂
– Scicat, who let me cuddle on her for far longer than normal when she knew I needed it. Sorry about the diet, chubby.
Some other mentions:
– Sci would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the musical catalogs of Beirut and Anais Mitchell. Beirut’s March of the Zapotec & Realpeople – Holland and The Flying Club Cup are brilliant and awesome. Anais’ Mitchell’s Hadestown is also amazing and beautiful. I love them all, and will probably never listen to them again, because if I ever do I will be forcibly reminded of all the hours spent in the middle of the night hunched over a computer screen fighting sleep. Good times.
– Sci would also like to acknowledge these boots:
They are my stompin’ boots, and when I wear them I feel awesome. In them, I stomp the science. Don’t hate.
– Sci would like to thank Reese’s for making the mini peanut butter cup. I will probably never look at one again, but I went through FIVE HUGE BAGS OF THEM while writing my thesis. Sci would also like to thank Peeps, though that’s kind of like thanking crack.
(Scared yet?)
– Sci sends her acknowledgments out to all things caffeinated, because she drank them ALL. Sometimes they weren’t as effective as they could have been, but they tried their best. Special thanks to the Premium Steap, which has the LOVELIEST tea (Earl Grey with lavender), and to my favorite local coffee dudes, who I really do think put cocaine in there. Carry on, boys.
– Finally, as per a bet I made with MicroRat, I would like to take this opportunity to give my deepest thanks to my favorite ninja turtle, Donatello. Donnie, you were the first to teach me it was cool to be nerdy, and I’ll admit that I’ve spent most of my life looking for a dude with your nerdy awesomeness who looks just as cool in purple (I found him. He isn’t as green as I hoped, but compromises must be made).
In conclusion, I expect you all to call me Dr. Sci for about a week until my ego gets too big or I have had enough.
…and now, back to your regularly scheduled blogging on all things good, bad, and weird. Dr. Sci is in the house!
I’m doing science, and I’m still alive.
