Where to begin…
(how about one year later, haha)
Pandemonium.
The facts are that a global pandemic hit when I first launched my website. And I also created a tiny human around that same time. So, you know, the blog wasn’t a huge priority. But I did not expect things to take this long for me to pick back up... Alas, here we are a full year later. In that time I changed roles, received grant funding for some really cool projects, and worked with my favorite co-conspirator, Dr. Kyla McMullen, on creating Modern Figures, Inc., a non-profit that houses our podcast and other endeavors. Let’s get you all caught up.
Cool projects!
Engineering While Black: Exploring the Experiences of Black Undergraduate Engineering Students using Photovoice
In December 2020, Dr. Karen Hicklin and I were awarded a UF Racial Justice Research Fund Award to explore the narratives of black engineering undergraduate students at UF using Photovoice. Photovoice is an empowering community-based participatory research method used to document and reflect on topics relevant to the community. Participants will document their experiences relevant to the topics identified, share their images, and discuss their stories with small groups of students led by facilitators. Select images will be shared at a final showcase that will also share a path forward.
If you are a black engineering undergraduate student at UF, consider joining the project by reaching out to Dr. Hicklin.
We are also currently looking for a graduate assistant to work on the project. Check out our ad by clicking here.
Also in December of 2020, we received a $4.5 million cooperative agreement from the National Science Foundation to renew an existing Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) Experimental Facility, which supports a highly skilled staff of engineers and technicians to facilitate studies for NSF-funded researchers from across the country to advance experimental wind hazard research. The funding will also support a K-12 STEM teacher training program to be implemented throughout Florida, which I have the pleasure of leading.
Read this awesome story about the project and my role by clicking here.
What have I learned?
It’s been a really difficult time since launching my site. Some days I feel overwhelmed by the state of the world. Others, I feel empowered to make a change. And still others, simply desire to make it through until tomorrow. I constantly repeat to myself, “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).” I’m working on giving myself grace through it all and remaining in the present moment. This has helped me on the hardest days by releasing me from the stress of tomorrow. I’m also working on maintaining realistic expectations for myself and others. If you miss a blog post (or a year’s worth) it’s ok, life will go on…
Sometimes, I fail at things I desire to do, only to excel in ways I never imagined. It’s hard to believe that I’m 3 full years post-Ph.D. and working with people I admire on work I enjoy! It’s such a gift to have the ability to work, watch my daughter grow, listen to my dog snore while I work (ok, not so much this one), and remain safe at home. I say all of this to say, “just keep swimming.” Tomorrow is a new day! If I can do this, you can too!
