One year since my last post! What have I been up to that I
have completely forgotten to update my blog? My first year of teaching at the
University of Southern Indiana has kept me busier then I could have ever
pictured with teaching, preparing lectures, grading, and all the busy administrative
work that no one ever talks about that invariably comes with any job. Having
been a teaching assistant (for one class) and teaching three classes while in
the Gambia, I thought I would be prepared for teaching full time at a medium
sized university. But I was wrong. Taking on four undergraduate courses that I
had never taught before was rough! But looking back at the past year, it also
feels like a rite of passage, something that all first time faculty must go
through…you know because writing and defending your dissertation aren't enough
stress to really judge a person’s true threshold for stress!
When I was applying for academic positions, my biggest fear
was that I would be ‘stuck’ teaching biostatistics. As an epidemiologist, biostatistics is my arch
enemy! Okay, that is probably pushing it a little far, it’s not really that I
don’t like biostatistics, because it is certainly necessary to everything I do
in my work, but more that it would be teaching outside my subject area. So, as
it turns out, I was hired to teach Biostatistics. Yep, that’s right, mistress
fate has a funny way of working. Three semesters later, I am happy to say I
teach biostatistics. In some ways, it helps to be a non-statistician, teaching
people who are also never going to be statisticians. I can relate to the
student’s fear of the subject matter and hopefully approach the subject in a
non-scary way. Still, I almost cried when I had to assign failing grades my
first semester. Which shows there is still room for improvement in my teaching
methods. Which if you ever stop thinking you need to improve your teaching
materials/methods, you are probably ready to be done teaching!
In addition to teaching, I applied for a small research
award through my university. I’m happy to say I was one of the research
proposals awarded! Which considering I am currently sitting in the Gambia
thanks to my award, I am past due announcing it! My research will consist of
assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Gambian health care
workers on rapid diagnostic tests for malaria. I start collecting data on
Thursday and can’t wait to get out in the field!
Travelling never seems to get any easier. Any time you fly
across the country, the ocean, or continents, you are going to put in some
quality time in a small seat with little padding, and no leg room. For once in
my life, I’m glad I’m not tall! My trip to the Gambia consisted of six flights
(with a layover in Connecticut for Paul and Vinnie’s wedding-Congratulations
guys!) and about 18 hours of flying time (~30 hours travel time total). I’m not
sure who designed the seats on airplanes, but they have a horrible sense of
humor. One day, I plan to upgrade to those wonderful first class seats that
look like actual beds. Some day. Which considering the increasing costs of
research and dwindling research budgets, probably in my dreams! So I finally arrived
in the Gambia sleep deprived and with a kink in my neck from attempts to sleep.
I feel extremely lucky to have a wonderful research partner in Mr. Edrisa
Sanyang and the University of the Gambia. Edrisa not only met me at the airport
on Eid al-Fitr, but is also spending his last two weeks in the Gambia helping
me collect data for my study! Congratulations to Edrisa on his acceptance into
a PhD program at the University of Iowa (Go Hawks) starting this fall!
When I awoke after 13.5 hours of sleep on my first day in
the Gambia, you would think I would be able to hit the ground running. You
would be wrong. I had agreed to meet Edrisa at 12 pm in Brikama to discuss our
research plan. I set my alarm at 10:30 am as a backup, never thinking I would actually
need it when I went to bed before 9 pm! Yes, I can see the many people familiar
with my sleep habits rolling their eyes at setting the alarm for anything that
late and in fact needing it! My first thought this morning…I wish I had more
time to sleep. I honestly think I could have slept another five or six hours. Yep,
combine a missed night of sleep, jetlag, and a long sleeper and you get a
cranky girl, even after 13.5 hours! Despite my lingering jet lag, I was able to
jump right back into taking public transportation. I flagged down a gilly gilly
(a large van/bus that holds about 25 people) and made my way to the University
of the Gambia/Gambia College campus. It was fun to take a familiar route,
driving past my old junction in Yundom, seeing all the familiar landmarks. Now that I'm unpacked and settled in my home for the next 3 weeks, I'm ready to tackle my next project-data collection, but first, a little more sleep!
