Jessica,
Good job. You know that we all feel that this is more than worthy of
the degree and we applaud all of your efforts.
Best,
Monique
_________________________________________________________
Monique Wilhelm, M.S., NRCC Certified CHO
ACS CHAS Secretary|2017 CERM E. Ann Nalley Award Recipient
Laboratory Manager|Adjunct Lecturer|Chemistry Club Advisor
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry|University of Michigan-Flint
Monique
_________________________________________________________
Monique Wilhelm, M.S., NRCC Certified CHO
ACS CHAS Secretary|2017 CERM E. Ann Nalley Award Recipient
Laboratory Manager|Adjunct Lecturer|Chemistry Club Advisor
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry|University of Michigan-Flint
On Wed, Feb 12, 2020 at 8:19 AM Jessica Martin
wrote:
>
> Thank you for the share!
>
> Jessica A. Martin
> NSF Graduate Research Fellow
> Graduate Student Career Council
> Joint Safety Team
> Pinkhassik Group, Department of Chemistry
> University of Connecticut
> 323-327-3974
> jessica.a.martin**At_Symbol_Here**uconn.edu
>
> ‰??To change a community, you have to change the composition of the soil‰?|
> If you want to meet with me, come to the garden with your shovel so we can plant some sh-t.‰??
> Ron Finley
>
> ‰??Argue for your limitations
> and sure enough they‰??re yours.‰??
> Richard Bach
>
> ‰??If you get to thinking you‰??re a person of some influence,
> try ordering somebody else‰??s dog around.‰??
> Will Rogers
>
> ‰??People don‰??t realize this about chemistry:
> it‰??s a lifelong source of humor.‰??
> James B. Comey
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> On Feb 12, 2020, at 7:47 AM, DCHAS Membership Chair wrote:
>
> There's an interesting article about the challenge of investigating safety aspects of a research laboratory setting in C&EN this week. It raises interesting questions about safety education and culture in today's academic setting.
>
> The article can be found at
> https://cen.acs.org/education/graduate-education/Grad-school-in-students-own-words/96/i36#When-a-distraction-becomes-a-dissertation
>
> Grad school, in students' own words: When a Distraction Becomes a Dissertation http://bit.ly/38obZiT
> by Jessica Martin, University of Connecticut, fourth year
>
> Imay not get a PhD in chemistry. After passing my qualifying exam and winning a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, I was able to plunge into my thesis project. That was when I discovered that I found my project uninspiring and began seeking out distractions. One distraction was analyzing safety and hazard assessment within the work of chemists. I have struggled with the dissonance between industry calls for strong safety cultures and the revelations of disastrous industry misconduct. This prompted questions about how academia prepares PhD chemists, what skills are emphasized, and how hazard assessment of the chemicals we create should be included.
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> As I have pursued these ideas, I have had enthusiastic discussions with people throughout the chemical world who believe this work is necessary. I have gained fantastic mentors eager to engage in ways I never experienced with my previous project. This work became my focus, leaving no time for my official project.
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> My department has been remarkably supportive as I have changed my thesis to hazard assessment and peer-to-peer education within a graduate program. However, there is a debate brewing over what my thesis will look like come judgment day. There is the distinct possibility that it will be determined that this work does not add up to a PhD in chemistry. Even if it does not, I will walk out with a body of work of which I am immensely proud and connected to a community that is doing work that inspires me.
>
> ---
> For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
> Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas
>
>
> --- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas---
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