As of this past weekend, I am officially registered to present work from one of my dissertation chapters in southern France!!! À votre santé :D Dan and I were thinking of taking advantage of this incredible opportunity/location to expand our European horizons. We visited the United Kingdom during a high school senior trip, and Dan's been to Italy, but other than that we are totally at sea when it comes to traveling in and around our family's ancestral stomping grounds. |
We were thinking of taking some time in August to do a bit of vacationing, so I wanted to ask all of my lovely readers a question: We would be so appreciative of any suggestions you all could give us. I've created a Google Doc if you feel like depositing some ideas (and snagging some from others while you're there). I've included a few details about budget and lodging preferences in the Doc for you to consider when thinking about recommendations for us. And please let us know who you are so we can give you credit when we post vacation pictures! Thank you in advance :)
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Guess what one of my most recent Amazon purchases was. Your hint is in the title of this blog post. According to Google, the root word vermi is defined as "relating to a worm or worms, especially parasitic ones". Yup - I ordered 500 red wiggler worms. Before you 1) get really freaked out, 2) start judging me, or 3) a bit of both, please take 4 minutes and 29 seconds of your time to watch the following YouTube video:
You might have had one of the following reactions after reading the title of this blog post: 1. Oh this is going to be dull as hell, who cares about why you don’t like a color? 2. What a strange thing to write about, why would she take the time to do this? 3. Ooh another Life blog post! I love reading these. Hello everyone :) We're gonna do two blog posts this week because last week was Fall Break and I was feeling especially lazy (probably from eating way too much but whatever). Penn State closes its University Park campus for the full Thanksgiving week, and since my mom had to go down to Virginia this year to visit her spouse's family, I took the entire week to head back to NJ and spend time with all three houses there (mom's, dad's, Dan's parent's). I hung out with my Momma at first; she made an awesome homecoming dinner for me and we played a full game (AKA ~3 hours worth) of Mexican Train, a domino game that apparently is related to another game called Chicken Foot. We also got to go out one night just us girls - my mom, sister, and I visited my maternal grandpa's favorite Italian restaurant for some homemade pasta and other yummy carbs.
I’ve got a good reason! My cousin Aria is turning one this January 2nd, and her parents, my Uncle Kyle and his fiancé Marlena, have asked me to make Aria’s birthday cake :D Now I love to bake, but I typically stick to recipes that: 1) Dan and I can finish ourselves 2) result in more handheld things I can easily distribute around the PSU Anth department and/or 3) that I saw somewhere and really wanted to try to bake myself :) I’ve bookmarked plenty of large/decorative cake recipes for future bakes, and now the time has come to start practicing for my beautiful little nugget of a cousin. This blog post will largely feature lessons I'm learning along the way, and I encourage you to please share advice/recipes with me as I go!
I got back from Bocas del Toro on September 9th and had a week to survey and sample Aaron's paleontological collections for Strombus pugilis. Since I didn't need a full week to get this sampling done, I persuaded my Momma to come visit me down in Panama and do all the touristy things with me that there are to do in Panama City :) Momma flew in on a red eye on September 14th, and once we dropped our bags off at the Double Tree Hotel, we headed out to the STRI Naos facilities so I could give a short talk to some college kids that were visiting Aaron's lab. Momma napped a little during my talk (she deserved it), and once she was refreshed we visited STRI's Punta Culebra Nature Center. Hello friends! I won't get many opportunities to link a classic rock music video to my blog post for a legitimate reason, so I am going to take full advantage of this one (even if the song is about a car instead of the actual country...):
The title of this post is something I ask Dan every Friday night. That's when I typically plan out our meals for the week, usually 3-4 dinners that will produce enough leftovers for lunch each day. It may seem like a lot of cooking for just two people, but I find it so relaxing at the end of a day to make a nice meal and surprise Dan with something tasty and new every night. Like every household that regularly cooks we have a few standbys that we make once or twice a month, but I love trying different cuisines and experimenting with unfamiliar ingredients. I have a few favorite online resources that I thought I'd share with you for this week's blog post. Please comment and share your favorite recipe repositories!
Update from 2022-09-07 I received the loveliest email from Lily S. yesterday. Her son, Connor, is a Boy Scout and his troop is working on their Sustainability Merit Badge: "the troop will learn how to reduce their family's waste, protect our planetary systems, spread sustainability to others, and explore other eco-friendly topics." They really enjoyed this post (which makes me so, so happy!) and reached out to share another composting resource with everyone else who might stumble upon the blog. Thanks Connor :D I'll also add here that Dan and I are now trying to avoid Amazon shopping as much as possible, so I'll instead point you to EarthHero, ZeroWasteStore, and Made Trade, all amazing resources for ethical, sustainable shopping. I've also updated a few of the broken links below. Cheers! -A
On one particular occasion in May 2015 I had to run to the store to buy some more cupcake liners, and it suddenly dawned on me that I was spending something like $12 on specially shaped pieces of paper that I was just going to throw in the garbage almost immediately. The reusable silicone cupcake liners that you see above permitted me to buy 4-dozen liners that I could wash and reuse indefinitely for the same price as one pack of paper liners.
I don't want to spend this blog post badgering plastic, even though it is kind of awful for the environment and for ourselves. I also don't want to sound too preachy or uppity or whatever. Instead, I'd love to share with you the ways that Dan and I have cut down on our waste, whether it be consumable, chemical, etc. Some of them are kind of silly (example: we like drinking out of straws, so we found some that were made of stainless steel), but every one of them has been easy to incorporate into our lifestyle and, in some cases, has even saved us a bit of money :D DISCLAIMER: Links and items posted here are just meant to serve as examples. We are not trying to promote any specific products, we've just enjoyed using these. End speech. |
All Research Updates
Visit to the Duke Lemur Center - July 2015 [Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5] ----------------------- "Mada-hoo-ah?" "No, not hoo-ah. As-car." ----------------------- Antananarivo - Week 1 ----------------------- My very first first-author publication!!! ----------------------- Beza Mahafaly - Week 2.5-3 ----------------------- Ancient DNA Lab ----------------------- AAPA 2017 + UpGoer Five Symposium ----------------------- My latest publication :D Let's talk about SNPs ----------------------- Protocol optimization: How to grind up lice ----------------------- Protocol optimization: I am attracted to good magnets ----------------------- MorphoSource Lemur Surface Scan Repository ----------------------- Making a Species Range Map in R ----------------------- Bocas del Toro - Panama [Part 3] ----------------------- Garage Lab ----------------------- Dirty Jobs: Science Edition ----------------------- Training My Undergrad Volunteer Research Assistants ----------------------- Preparing Pretty Poster Presentations ----------------------- All About Aye-ayes ----------------------- Evolution - Montpellier 2018 ----------------------- Oh The Places She's Gone...For Science ----------------------- Making Things Easier For Yourself: A Love Letter To Technology ----------------------- Say Hi To Perry Lab People At AAPA 2019 ----------------------- Evolution - Providence 2019 ----------------------- One-Slide Research Summaries ----------------------- Productivity and Mental Health ----------------------- All Sci Comm Updates
It begins with being taught how to teach... ----------------------- Mueller: Semi-new and definitely improved ----------------------- Sully’s Top Three Teaching Tips ----------------------- Sylly Week & Survey ----------------------- www.online-resources-i-use-when-teaching.com ----------------------- Journal Club ----------------------- Oral Presentations ----------------------- Teaching --> Sci Comm ----------------------- PA Junior Academy of Science ----------------------- Making Things Easier for Yourself: Research Edition ----------------------- Neandertal R Stuffs ----------------------- I submitted a grant proposal that was only 140 characters long… ----------------------- Perry Lab Meeting Up Goer 5 ----------------------- Preparing for Fieldwork [Panama, Part 2] ----------------------- STRI Tupper Seminar - Panama [Part 5] ----------------------- COMPS! 2/3 of the way to Ph.D. ----------------------- Research Opportunity for PSU Undergraduate Student ----------------------- Sci Comm Spotlight: Skype A Scientist ----------------------- Sci Comm Spotlight: March Mammal Madness ----------------------- PostDoc Appreciation ----------------------- All Life
Updates 1st Rugelach Attempt ----------------------- Vacation, bread, and new-ish cat tree ----------------------- New Year, New Blog Goals ----------------------- New Year, New Blog Goals [Take 2] ----------------------- How I Decided Where to Go for My Education – High School, Undergrad, and Grad School ----------------------- Lab Meeting Bakes ----------------------- Not Your Typical International Women’s Day Post ----------------------- Yeast is Beast: Microbiology in Your Kitchen ----------------------- Work & Play in New Orleans ----------------------- Dan’s Improved Eyes ----------------------- The Saga of Poopy Moo ----------------------- We’re Shipping Up to Boston, Woah-oh-oh ----------------------- Reducing Our Waste-Line ----------------------- What Do You Want to Eat This Week? ----------------------- Panama! [Part 1] ----------------------- Mini Vacation with Momma - Panama [Part 4] ----------------------- Let Them Eat Cake [Part 1] ----------------------- 2017 Fall Break ----------------------- Why I Never Liked The Color Pink ----------------------- Let Them Eat Cake [Part 2] ----------------------- Vermicomposting ----------------------- I'm Going To France! ----------------------- Recent Recipes: BA's Best, Some Standbys, and French Macaron ----------------------- Applying to Grad School - Q&A ----------------------- Hello 2019! ----------------------- Cookbook Review: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Ina Garten ----------------------- Recent Recipes: Misfit Produce, Valentine's Traditions, And New Favorites ----------------------- Struggles Of Being A Scientist As A Woman/Person With Lady Bits ----------------------- My Dad's Melanoma: Biopsies and Surgeries ----------------------- Happy Birthday To Me / Q&A-A-Day ----------------------- Recent Recipes: Our Favorite Fries ----------------------- Dry Lab
Antananarivo – Week 1 ----------------------- My latest publication :D Let's talk about SNPs ----------------------- Making Things Easier for Yourself: Research Edition ----------------------- Neandertal R Stuffs ----------------------- MorphoSource Lemur Surface Scan Repository ----------------------- Making a Species Range Map in R ----------------------- Education
Penn State University
Applying to Grad School - Q&A ----------------------- Mueller: Semi-new and Definitely Improved ----------------------- COMPS! 2/3 of the way to Ph.D. ----------------------- Family
Vacation, bread, and new-ish cat tree ----------------------- Not Your Typical International Women’s Day Post ----------------------- Work & Play in New Orleans ----------------------- Dan’s Improved Eyes ----------------------- The Saga of Poopy Moo ----------------------- We’re Shipping Up to Boston, Woah-oh-oh ----------------------- Reducing Our Waste-line ----------------------- Mini Vacation with Momma - Panama [Part 4] ----------------------- Let Them Eat Cake [Part 1] ----------------------- 2017 Fall Break ----------------------- Let Them Eat Cake [Part 2] ----------------------- Recent Recipes: BA's Best, Some Standbys, and French Macaron ----------------------- Food
1st Rugelach Attempt ----------------------- Vacation, bread, and new-ish cat tree ----------------------- Lab Meeting Bakes ----------------------- Yeast is Beast: Microbiology in Your Kitchen ----------------------- Work & Play in New Orleans ----------------------- Dan’s Improved Eyes ----------------------- Reducing Our Waste-Line ----------------------- What do You Want to Eat This Week? ----------------------- Mini Vacation with Momma – Panama [Part 4] ----------------------- Let Them Eat Cake [Part 1] ----------------------- 2017 Fall Break ----------------------- Let Them Eat Cake [Part 2] ----------------------- Vermicomposting ----------------------- Recent Recipes: BA's Best, Some Standbys, and French Macaron ----------------------- Friends
Protocol Optimization: How to Grind Up Lice ----------------------- We’re Shipping Up to Boston, Woah-oh-oh ----------------------- Bocas del Toro – Panama [Part 3] ----------------------- All About Aye-ayes ----------------------- Evolution - Montpellier 2018 ----------------------- Me
New Year, New Blog Goals and [Take 2] ----------------------- How I Decided Where to Go for My Education - High School, Undergrad, and Grad School ----------------------- Why I Never Liked The Color Pink ----------------------- Applying to Grad School - Q&A ----------------------- Hello 2019! ----------------------- Perry Lab
Ancient DNA Lab ----------------------- Protocol Optimization: How to Grind Up Lice ----------------------- Protocol Optimization: I am Attracted to Good Magnets ----------------------- MorphoSource Lemur Surface Scan Repository ----------------------- Making a Species Range Map in R ----------------------- Perry Lab Meeting Up Goer 5 ----------------------- Dirty Jobs: Science Edition ----------------------- Training My Undergrad Volunteer Research Assistants ----------------------- Preparing Pretty Poster Presentations ----------------------- All About Aye-ayes ----------------------- Publications
My Very First First-Author Publication!!! ----------------------- My Latest Publication :D Let’s Talk about SNPs ----------------------- Neandertal R Stuffs ----------------------- All About Aye-ayes ----------------------- Sci Comm
Journal Club ----------------------- Oral Presentations ----------------------- Teaching --> Sci Comm ----------------------- PA Junior Academy of Science ----------------------- Making Things Easier for Yourself: Research Edition ----------------------- AAPA 2017 + Up Goer Five Symposium ----------------------- Perry Lab Meeting Up Goer 5 ----------------------- I submitted a grant proposal that was only 140 characters long… ----------------------- STRI Tupper Seminar - Panama [Part 5] ----------------------- COMPS! 2/3 of the way to Ph.D. ----------------------- Preparing Pretty Poster Presentations ----------------------- Sci Comm Spotlight: Skype A Scientist ----------------------- Evolution - Montpellier 2018 ----------------------- Sully Asks A Scientist
Undergrads Audrey Arner Grad Students Daniel T. Schussheim Margarita Hernandez Catherine Herzog Tina Lasisi Kate M. Lesciotto Lily Doershuk Julie D. White Post Docs Stephanie Marciniak Kathleen Grogan Kathryn G. Turner PIs Technicians Teaching
It begins with being taught how to teach... ----------------------- Sully’s Top Three Teaching Tips ----------------------- Sylly Week & Survey ----------------------- Online Resources I Use When Teaching ----------------------- Training My Undergrad Volunteer Research Assistants ----------------------- Travels
Vacation, bread, and new-ish cat tree ----------------------- Visit to the Duke Lemur Center - July 2015 [Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5] ----------------------- “Mada-hoo-ah?” “No, not hoo-ah. As-car.” ----------------------- Antananarivo - Week 1 ----------------------- Beza Mahafaly - Week 2.5-3 ----------------------- AAPA 2017 + Up Goer Five Symposium ----------------------- Work & Play in New Orleans ----------------------- We’re Shipping Up to Boston, Woah-oh-oh ----------------------- Panama! [Part 1] ----------------------- Preparing for Fieldwork - Panama [Part 2] ----------------------- Bocas del Toro - Panama [Part 3] ----------------------- Mini Vacation with Momma - Panama [Part 4] ----------------------- STRI Tupper Seminar - Panama [Part 5] ----------------------- 2017 Fall Break ----------------------- I'm Going To France! ----------------------- Evolution - Montpellier 2018 ----------------------- Wet Lab
Ancient DNA Lab ----------------------- Making Things Easier for Yourself: Research Edition ----------------------- Protocol Optimization: How to Grind Up Lice ----------------------- Protocol Optimization: I am Attracted to Good Magnets ----------------------- Garage Lab ----------------------- Training My Undergrad Volunteer Research Assistants ----------------------- Evolution - Montpellier 2018 ----------------------- Wildlife
Visit to the Duke Lemur Center - July 2015 [Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5] ----------------------- Beza Mahafaly - Week 2.5-3 ----------------------- Protocol Optimization: How to Grind Up Lice ----------------------- MorphoSource Lemur Surface Scan Repository ----------------------- Making a Species Range Map in R ----------------------- Panama! [Part 1] ----------------------- Bocas del Toro – Panama [Part 3] ----------------------- Mini Vacation with Momma – Panama [Part 4] ----------------------- STRI Tupper Seminar – Panama [Part 5] ----------------------- Garage Lab ----------------------- All About Aye-ayes ----------------------- Evolution - Montpellier 2018 ----------------------- Archives
October 2019
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