An overview of where I work, and who I work with

I want to describe briefly my work environment. I don't really want to use too many names, especially when I am describing someone's work habits or discussions not intended for wider distribution, but I don't really feel like there is anything to hide. I think I may be walking a somewhat fine line here; I want to be descriptive and clear in how I describe my work (I think this should always be transparent), but I don't want to violate anyone's privacy, or reveal things that they would rather have kept in confidence. I'll need to describe people, and places, and I intend on including pictures eventually. I want this to be a record of my life, social and academic, as well as a representative anecdote of life in academia, or life as a graduate in climate science. So, if for some reason you're reading this and I've included something you don't want on here, or feel like I've crossed a line, please let me know. I'll fix it.

So...

I work in the Soil and Water (S&W) Lab in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering (BEE). There are around 25 people working in this lab, including some undergraduates for the summer. There are graduates working for a Masters, a PhD, or both. There are post-docs. There are research associates. Not counting the undergrads, I'd guess the age range is from low-20s to somewhere around the 50s. I've been here since last summer.

The reason I am in this lab, and not a climate lab, is that there really isn't a climate lab at Cornell. There are many people who work on climate science, but they come from different backgrounds. Meteorology, or modeling, or air quality, or geology, etc. As a result, the "climate community," if I can designate such a thing, is spread all over campus. Peter, my advisor, does climate and biofuels work. The biofuels work landed him (and therefore, me) in this department.

This lab is particularly social, and there is a decent amount of socializing among the labs in this department. The trouble with inter-lab socializing is that many of the wings of this building are locked, as so I can't just wander over and chat with the people another lab. Within this department, many of us attend movie nights, happy hours, potlucks, parties, barbecues, festivals, and celebrations together. Not, of course, exclusively. But a fair portion of my social life involves or revolves around the social lives of people in this department. I am thrilled to be able to consider them friends. Some I probably won't interact with much once we part ways, but there are many who I hope to keep in touch with long after our work here is done.

I also see on a regular basis people from...at least seven different departments. Some are friends of friends, or acquaintances of acquaintances, or classmates. We'll often discuss each of our work when we're hanging out, but not in any great depth. There is no actual interdepartmental collaboration here, just interdepartmental socializing. I've stargazed, bird-watched, rock-wall climbed, brewed beer, watched movies, made food, bon-fired, hiked, trivia-nighted, and partied with people specifically from other departments. I also interact regularly with several people from outside of Cornell, mostly through the birdwatching and hiking. I meet new people almost every day, so I am not left wanting further socializing.

Academically, I've taken classes in eight departments. I've attended seminars and actual academic events in at least two more. My current research involves (so far) only me and my advisor, Peter, with some collaboration with researchers over in Boulder, Colorado (where the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is located). My next project, which starts this fall, will involve people from five departments (BEE, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS), City and Regional Planning, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Civil and Environmental Engineering) as well as some people from Boulder. And I am actively trying to find someone for my committee who in some form covers policy, public communication, law, or some combination.

My committee is basically the three people that I need to convince in order to get a degree and graduate. So far it is made up of Peter (my main advisor, an atmospheric chemist and climate modeler), his wife, Natalie (an atmospheric scientist (meteorology and climate) and climate modeler), and Kieran (a city and regional planner), although the last one is only temporary. While he's working on my next project, I'd like to find a different person for my third committee member.

Overall, I would say that my work is (or is about to become) highly interdisciplinary. And I'm loving it. It's something I think I'd like to keep doing in the future. I will write more about what I like in the interdisciplinary work later. In fact, I'll write again later. It's time for dinner and our movie night.