Thesis Defense!

So after getting back into Philadelphia (from Ohio) on Sunday evening, I had quite a bit to do before my defense on Wednesday at noon, and not a lot of time to do it in! I spent Monday working on my slides and meeting with Shaheen, our tech guy, to improve the projector conditions in the room I was presenting in, since so many of my slides were complicated, colorful genome views. Tuesday I spent meeting with David (my boss), practicing my presentation, and finalizing the slides.

On Tuesday night, Brendan (my brother) flew in from Milwaukee to cheer me on. He was the first to get a PhD in our family (studying tribbles or tribology or friction or something like that), and I flew down to NC with Dad for his defense a few years ago. He returned the favor, which was awesome :)

Most of Wednesday flew by; I can't say that I remember much of my preparation, the presentation, or the private defense. I think it went pretty well, although there are always parts of any presentation you wish you had done differently afterwards. I was so surprised to see so many Combined Degree friends there; it was really awesome! Plus Brendan, Dad, Brian, Maureen, Sara, Cara, and Brittany! In addition, David invited Marc-Jan Gubbels, a professor at Boston College, to come down as an unofficial outside reviewer; Marc-Jan and I have always gotten along well at meetings, etc, so I was really excited to have him be a part of everything as well.

Afterwards, there was celebration with champagne and cake, then margaritas and mexican food (which Mom joined us for)! All in all, it was a great day, and a huge stress relief to have this part of everything completed!

Of course, although so much of the stress is gone, there is still so much to do in the lab. I'm working with an undergrad (who is continuing some of my genotyping work) in all the spare time that I don't have. I still have quite a few revisions to do on my written thesis before I can turn it in for good, plus, there a few things I would really like to finish before truly leaving the lab.

It's very strange being at the end of this part of the journey though... I feel like I've been a part of the Roos lab for a very long time; it's been a sometimes frustrating, sometimes fun journey, but it's hard to imagine life without that large piece. I've learned a lot about myself and how I work by doing biological research, and I've also learned a lot about how to investigate and think through problems. I'm proud of the research I've done, and I hope that it continues to advance after I move on to different things. Although there have been plenty of times in the past few years that I was ready to throw in the towel and just quit, in the end, I'm glad that I stuck with it, and I'm proud of what I've done.

That being said, it's really hard to now switch gears so completely. As much as I am looking forward to all of my veterinary rotations, it's hard to start all over again. The past few years have been like slowly, painfully crawling out of a gutter, and after 5 years of making little progress and slipping backwards, I finally feel like I've made it out on top! I completed my PhD! Only to fall into the next little ditch and to have to start crawling again... Coming back into veterinary school after so many years is hard; I don't remember anything from classes 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year, I haven't had to think "like a veterinarian" for years, and I'm entering a class that I don't know very well. It will all work out in the end, but the next few weeks will be rough as well as wonderful!

Here are a few pictures of my time in the Roos lab! Beth and I organized a few beach day trips during our time in the lab. Highlights include grilling some awesome food on the beach, playing frisbee and vollyball on the beach, and getting "lost" in the Pine Barrens on the way there!


Every year, a Molecular Parasitology Meeting is held in Wood's Hole, Massachusetts. On our way there, it's a lab tradition to stop at "The Place" for lunch.


During my three visits to MPM, I got to know some awesome investigators, including Ashley (one the left) and Marc-Jan (on the right). Even though they remind me how short I am, we still had a few great times together!



In June of 2011, members (past and present) convened in Ottawa for the Bi-Annual Toxo Meeting.