I got a job!
Research assistant for a University of Kansas at Manhattan group that works at the Konza Prairie Long Term Ecological Research site. So I'll be out of state, but not by too far! I'll be helping them investigate the effects of climate change, buffalo grazing, fertilizer addition, tree encroachment, etc. on grasslands. Tromping around in the prairie and doing all sorts of chemical analyses on plants and soils and groundwater in the lab will be all kinds of fun, and I'm sure that the group of professors and grad students I'll be working with will be a really cool bunch. Scientists generally are.
I'll probably be starting in mid-June, on June 13 or so. This will give me time to come home and tie up loose ends from my January internship.
There's only one caveat. I had a preliminary phone interview with the Kansas City EPA office for an internship program, and in late May or early June I'll find out whether or not I'm offered an interview in Washington, D.C. for an actual position. My mom told me I'd be a fool to pass up an EPA interview, and she's right. Although the science of this grasssland research is cool, and useful in terms of understanding climate change and restoring grasslands, the EPA internship would appeal somewhat more to me because it's even more directly applied, and more directly serves people. I'll talk with my professors at school about how to tell my new employers about this iron in the fire with minimal awkwardness. Of course, if Blair et al. tell me that they need a commitment from me and that I won't go running off to the EPA in a few months, I'll happily make that commitment.
Well, what else is there to say? I'm completely psyched--just until a few hours ago I was facing the prospect of being a bum at home for the summer and searching for months on end for a job.
I'll probably be starting in mid-June, on June 13 or so. This will give me time to come home and tie up loose ends from my January internship.
There's only one caveat. I had a preliminary phone interview with the Kansas City EPA office for an internship program, and in late May or early June I'll find out whether or not I'm offered an interview in Washington, D.C. for an actual position. My mom told me I'd be a fool to pass up an EPA interview, and she's right. Although the science of this grasssland research is cool, and useful in terms of understanding climate change and restoring grasslands, the EPA internship would appeal somewhat more to me because it's even more directly applied, and more directly serves people. I'll talk with my professors at school about how to tell my new employers about this iron in the fire with minimal awkwardness. Of course, if Blair et al. tell me that they need a commitment from me and that I won't go running off to the EPA in a few months, I'll happily make that commitment.
Well, what else is there to say? I'm completely psyched--just until a few hours ago I was facing the prospect of being a bum at home for the summer and searching for months on end for a job.