Our goals as an organization include:
UCGSA had it's first meeting on October 23, 2014 (Mole Day!). The graduate students in the chemistry department wanted to unite in order to improve our ability to collaborate with each other and with faculty and staff in the department. We became a registered student organization at UCF in January 2015 and have been very successful in communicating with not only our department, but our university.
Carbon! Aside from being essential for life on Earth, its versatility allows it to be used as a material with a wide range of applications.
I would increase the pay for employees and the financial aid for students in need. If I can get a bundle wish then I would also fill all staff positions so that the university can work as smoothly as possible.
As long as I don’t need internet, definitely somewhere with a view, like the Tetons or Yosemite. Studying outside is peaceful and I find it’s when I get the best work done (when it’s not 90F outside, that is).
LifeSavers gummies- my favorite is the wild berries flavor.
Finding the balance between work and life and avoiding burnout. Sometimes I have too much work and sometimes I have too much life, but as I near the end of my Ph.D. I’m slowly finding the balance.
Long ago, I talked to my middle school teacher, also head of the after-school science club, about light bulbs. Naturally, she went over the incandescent bulbs. A week later, we were at a science competition, and one of the questions was about the filament used in old light bulbs. By that timely coincidence, I got the answer correct because a STEM role model took the time to have a chat. So, W, tungsten, is my favorite.
The chem building would be brought down to the foundation to be rebuilt. This has become an issue that is unfair to teaching assistants, faculty, and students. Remodeling rooms and installing new boilers seems to be a poor stop gap for larger problems due to the age of the building.
Spit! A no-fog solution for scuba diving masks. It works perfectly for a good 3 hours with safety goggles.
Rainbow Springs. I'm a Florida native, and I adore our springs. Rainbow Springs has a one-hour lazy river. You can rent an inner tube or bring your own to glide slowly in the sunlight through crystal-clear waters.
Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded by Joshua Schimel. I enjoyed the real world examples. It also gave me a better descriptor for why some publications seemed to be easier to read than others.
Graphics and Data Presentation for Science. It would go over aesthetics, design, and artistry of evidence presentation for non-artists to understand. There's a science to making data look good.