I’ve generally avoided collaborative research. Mostly because I’m an introvert and I carefully manage my social stimulus levels. I’ve also been reluctant to commit to projects when my domestic obligations were so heavy and unpredictable (see: babies, young children, eldercare and hospice). I don’t like committing to something but then finding myself unable to hit [...]
As a professional desk jockey my hamstrings are short, hip flexors tight and I snap, crackle and pop a lot. I drink way too much coffee but cut myself off when my shaking fingers can’t manage the keyboard. I’ve birthed two babies and suspect my core muscles will never be the same. And, after an [...]
Living beside a cemetery is never boring and, contrary to the jokes, it isn't quiet. There are laughing kids walking to school, old married couples bickering, yappy dogs harassing squirrels and teenagers – on dark summer nights – daring each other to do silly things. But what do we hear most often? Humanity's attempt to [...]
My husband and I both have research talks to deliver tomorrow morning. He got up this morning, finished his slides, kissed the kids good-bye and was picked up early by airport transfer so he'd arrive in time to have a good dinner and decent sleep before the event. Before my talk (7am tomorrow morning!) I [...]
Just so you know, yes, it is possible. And yes, you are more than good enough. But you'll make compromises that you never thought you'd need to make. And you will bite your tongue more often than you thought you ever would. You will be asked to join committees just because of your sex and/or [...]
I ended my first year class with a pep talk — the usual "now would be a good time to open the textbook in preparation for next week's final exam" plus some insights as a First Generation Professor (FGP). This year I delivered the pep talk as a newly-tenured professor, a surreal experience given where [...]
Today is World Water Day, an international event to celebrate and highlight freshwater issues. This year's theme is wastewater – the sullied water that flows down our drains and is flushed from our toilets. In Victoria, the recent decision to provide tertiary treatment of Mr. Floatie before he's dumped in the ocean is a wastewater [...]
A very long time ago, I was a second-year student studying at the University of Haifa's overseas program. 'Professor Lieberman' played such a huge and influential role in my life. He introduced me to the beauty of ecology, wrote reference letters for scholarships and doctoral studies, and was my academic mentor for many years. The packages of newspaper clippings [...]
Today is World Water Day, and experts everywhere are sounding the alarm about water problems. We’ll learn about children in distant lands who die from drinking contaminated water and women who suffer sexual assault because they don’t have access to private toilets. We’ll see photographs of urban flooding and the damage it has caused to [...]
I'm pleased to announce that a new article, It came from the water, has just been published in Alternatives Journal. The article was written with two members of my research team, Stephanie Cote and Hanna Ross. Read the Article