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of the coming weekend, that is.
It's 3:16 pm. Friday. I didn't have to really come to work today. I had an office hour to which no one showed up. I've been sitting here in my office since 10 am, and I've really had little to do.
Why am I still here? In 15 minutes, I have to give a five minute research progress report for the semester.
WHY they scheduled this at 3:30 on a Friday, I don't know. But I'm stuck.
Luckily, I am very very prepared. During my boring sitting time, I printed off a little outline of what I've done this semester. It's about two pages long. In single spaced, 10 point Garamond. I guess I've accomplished a little this semester.
So, what am I going to say?
Here, let me paste that outline.
Research Progress – Fall of 2004
I. Geography of Indiana Book
a. Beginning in the summer of 2004
b. Complete Revisions of Geography of Indiana text.
c. Includes Text and Graphics.
d. Text revised for independent study.
i. Of 13 original chapters of text…
· Ten chapters are completely revised.
· One is still being formulated – about 50% complete.
o Old chapter on mineral production
o Transformed into ‘super chapter’ on economic well-being of the state that includes:
§ Economic data.
§ An entirely new treatment on the service industry.
§ Mineral production
§ Vital links to other chapters on:
· Agriculture
· Manufacturing
· The old introduction and summary chapters were scrapped and are currently being rewritten – about 80% complete.
· One completely new chapter added.
· One completely new suffix in progress on education – 50% complete.
e. Graphics revised as culminating project for GEOG 630- Seminar on Cartography.
i. For the design project
1. Complete style layout created.
2. Revised and updated maps completed for nine out of 14 chapters.
3. Additional graphics created.
4. This will be completed over break.
f. Entire project should be complete by January, giving the department a new fully-revised textbook to publish for the Geography of Indiana class for the next time it’s offered.
II. Thesis Proposal
a. Topic: “Tornadoes and Mobile Homes in the Southeastern United States: A Study of Correlation and an Exploration of Common Geofactors.”
b. Approved yesterday, December 9 by my committee of Drs. Schwartz, Turcotte and Zimmermann.
c. What I’m doing:
i. Using GIS, correlating thirty years of tornado data to mobile home locations as a region-wide analysis.
ii. Identifying five to ten locations where both happen frequently for case studies, examining geofactors of each location.
d. Goal for next semester: Finish the thesis.
e. Will be downloading and manipulating region-wide data over break so that analysis can begin with the new semester.
III. Appalachia Independent Study
a. Went to Hawkins wanting to learn about Appalachian culture.
b. What I did:
i. Interviewed members of two generations of a family which had moved from Hazard, KY to Indianapolis in the 1960s.
1. Older generation: late 80s, early 90s.
2. Their kids: mid 50s to late 60s.
ii. Acquiring data for changes made necessary by the migration, feelings of homesickness and how Indiana ‘felt’ different, negative stereotypes they met when they moved, and changes in sense of community.
c. What I still have to do:
i. A couple more interviews this Monday morning.
ii. Write some sort of product reporting my findings and reflecting.
IV. Goals for next semester
a. Have the Indiana project completed before the beginning of the semester.
b. Finish thesis by March 30.
c. Present the findings of the thesis during at the national AAG convention in Denver this April.
d. Complete the application process for PhD programs and jobs.
e. In free time:
i. An analysis of the TV show King of the Hill.
1. Animated program based in Texas.
2. Examine the Texas and southern stereotypes presented by each of the regular and semi-regular characters.
f. Graduate in May.
Here goes nothing.
Why am I still here? In 15 minutes, I have to give a five minute research progress report for the semester.
WHY they scheduled this at 3:30 on a Friday, I don't know. But I'm stuck.
Luckily, I am very very prepared. During my boring sitting time, I printed off a little outline of what I've done this semester. It's about two pages long. In single spaced, 10 point Garamond. I guess I've accomplished a little this semester.
So, what am I going to say?
Here, let me paste that outline.
Research Progress – Fall of 2004
I. Geography of Indiana Book
a. Beginning in the summer of 2004
b. Complete Revisions of Geography of Indiana text.
c. Includes Text and Graphics.
d. Text revised for independent study.
i. Of 13 original chapters of text…
· Ten chapters are completely revised.
· One is still being formulated – about 50% complete.
o Old chapter on mineral production
o Transformed into ‘super chapter’ on economic well-being of the state that includes:
§ Economic data.
§ An entirely new treatment on the service industry.
§ Mineral production
§ Vital links to other chapters on:
· Agriculture
· Manufacturing
· The old introduction and summary chapters were scrapped and are currently being rewritten – about 80% complete.
· One completely new chapter added.
· One completely new suffix in progress on education – 50% complete.
e. Graphics revised as culminating project for GEOG 630- Seminar on Cartography.
i. For the design project
1. Complete style layout created.
2. Revised and updated maps completed for nine out of 14 chapters.
3. Additional graphics created.
4. This will be completed over break.
f. Entire project should be complete by January, giving the department a new fully-revised textbook to publish for the Geography of Indiana class for the next time it’s offered.
II. Thesis Proposal
a. Topic: “Tornadoes and Mobile Homes in the Southeastern United States: A Study of Correlation and an Exploration of Common Geofactors.”
b. Approved yesterday, December 9 by my committee of Drs. Schwartz, Turcotte and Zimmermann.
c. What I’m doing:
i. Using GIS, correlating thirty years of tornado data to mobile home locations as a region-wide analysis.
ii. Identifying five to ten locations where both happen frequently for case studies, examining geofactors of each location.
d. Goal for next semester: Finish the thesis.
e. Will be downloading and manipulating region-wide data over break so that analysis can begin with the new semester.
III. Appalachia Independent Study
a. Went to Hawkins wanting to learn about Appalachian culture.
b. What I did:
i. Interviewed members of two generations of a family which had moved from Hazard, KY to Indianapolis in the 1960s.
1. Older generation: late 80s, early 90s.
2. Their kids: mid 50s to late 60s.
ii. Acquiring data for changes made necessary by the migration, feelings of homesickness and how Indiana ‘felt’ different, negative stereotypes they met when they moved, and changes in sense of community.
c. What I still have to do:
i. A couple more interviews this Monday morning.
ii. Write some sort of product reporting my findings and reflecting.
IV. Goals for next semester
a. Have the Indiana project completed before the beginning of the semester.
b. Finish thesis by March 30.
c. Present the findings of the thesis during at the national AAG convention in Denver this April.
d. Complete the application process for PhD programs and jobs.
e. In free time:
i. An analysis of the TV show King of the Hill.
1. Animated program based in Texas.
2. Examine the Texas and southern stereotypes presented by each of the regular and semi-regular characters.
f. Graduate in May.
Here goes nothing.
Posted by Your Friendly Neighborhood DJ on December 10, 2004 03:13 PM | Permalink
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