Misc

Learning to advocate for yourself and your training goals can be one of the most important, and difficult, things to learn as a graduate student. This is one reason why its so important to get a feel for an adviser's style before settling on a graduate program. Unfortunately, you don't necessarily know what you're getting in to until you're there.

Here are two recent articles with advice on how to get what you need from your adviser...

Interesting slide show and interviews regading what it takes to reach age 100+: Secrets of the Centenarians

One of our professors, Fred Coolidge, was recently featured on a Radiolab podcast about falling. Fred describes the origins of the "hypnic jerk." Click here to listen to the interview.

Today was my last first day of school, as a student anyway. Here's to 22nd grade!

Great visual description of what a PhD is: The Illustrated Guide to a PhD.

One of the founders and leaders in the field of aging, Dr. Robert N. Butler, passed away over the week-end. Here are a few tributes to his life and his work:

changingaging.org

Last night I was honored with the 2010 Psychological Society of the Pikes Peak Region Outstanding Graduate Student Award. My mentor Dan Segal (with me in the photo) gave a nice speech about the work we've done together over the past 3 years. I am truly fortunate to have Dan as a mentor and to be in a graduate program where I am encouraged thrive!

I finished the 3rd year of my PhD program this week! Unfortunately, it feels a little anti-climatic since classes are a smaller part of what I do now (clinical work and research have become more of a priority). But, it is nice to have another year behind me. :-)

Julio and I celebrated a little early last week-end by taking a long motorcycle ride into the mountains. Definitely one of the perks of living in Colorado!

It has been challenging, but I accomplished a lot (both professionally and personally) over the past six months:

- In late July, I successfully defended my thesis

- In mid-September, I climbed Pikes Peak

- In November, I got engaged to my best friend

Thought I'd share this piece from the DailyOM about transitioning through life's phases. I especially love the last sentence about changing as we grow older: "When we anchor our identity in our spiritual nature, we understand that physical change does not change who we are, but only offers another perspective from which to experience, understand, and celebate life."