Personal motivations for pursuing a doctorate
· Personal aspirations for family
· Career advancement
· Permanent residency status in the US
Study Plan and Timeline
Dr. Brant Miller and I have planned out a map of my PhD program for the next 3 years. The goal is to finish everything by Spring 2025. I hope to gain employment here in the US after grad school.
Time management and SMART goal to improve my work life balance
I usually keep track of my schedule through my calendar app. However, I am open to possible changes in my daily schedule, depending on the demands of my activities in school, at work, and in my personal life. A successful day for me would mean accomplishing my goals and task for the day and have some alone time to decompress and relax. A healthy and balanced well-being is a top priority for me.
Specific: Advocate for my mental health.
Measurable:
· Attend regular counseling sessions at least twice a month.
· Allot a quiet hour before bedtime to reflect, contemplate, and then decompress to
relax.
· Exercise regularly. Work out at least two to three times a week. Do breathing and
stretching exercises in the morning before going to school/work.
Achievable:
· I started my CTC counseling sessions last Fall 2021. I would like to maintain these
sessions as I go through my PhD program.
· I keep my schedule in my calendar app which includes my morning exercise, work
out times, and a quiet hour before bedtime.
Relevant: I want to take care of myself more by listening to how my body, mind, and spirit react and respond to different situations. I want to give myself more grace about the things that I can't control and those that I can.
Time-bound: I will start my mental health plan this May, then reevaluate and figure out the next steps in August before school starts.
Target conferences, possible collaborations, and strategies for self-promotion
Conferences
· Communication Science Conference (2023)
· International Conference on Applied Theatre Studies (April 2023 and April 2024)
· Applied Improvisation Network World Conference
· Kennedy Center American College Theatre Conference/Institute for Theatre
Journalism and Advocacy
· Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science Workshop
Collaborations:
· Confluence Lab, University of Idaho
· Theresa Dudeck, editor of the book, Applied Improvisation: Leading, Collaborating, and
Creating Beyond the Theatre
· Jonathan Rossing and Krista Hoffman-Longtin, authors of Making Sense of Science:
Applied Improvisation for Public Communication of Science and Health
Strategies for self-promotion
· Keeping my website and socials updated
· Attend conferences
Presentation template
Presentation template preferences:
Less is more. Design needs to practical and functional.
· I’ve always liked a white background. It’s clean and simple.
· A generous use of white space will help to avoid clutter, noise, and the “busy-ness”
of layout.
· Have a balanced and strategic use of visuals. Use less text.
· Use catch phrases or statements instead of lengthy paragraphs.
· Use color appropriately.
· Take advantage to promote socials–FB, Twitter, Instagram; hashtags and QR codes.
· Have a personal touch by not only conveying information, but also evoking emotion.
· Be consistent with personal branding.
· Avoid center layouts. Instead, identify crucial focal points in the presentation. Keep
focal points to a minimum. If possible, follow the natural flow of visual direction–left
to right, top to bottom.
Reference management strategy: Zotero
Tenure track expectations
Teaching
I would like to teach in a university after finishing my PhD program. My goal is to become a tenured professor in theatre, education, or communication. As a graduate student, I hope that I’ll have the chance to teach in class, assist professors, or create and conduct my own workshop/seminar.
Research/Creative Activity
I look forward to connecting with peers, professors and industry leaders who are making significant contributions in applied theatre for science communication. Recently, I introduced myself to the people who make up the Confluence Lab here at the University of Idaho. I am hoping that this will spark new ideas and even collaborations that will solidify my research and further my career plans working for the academia. I have identified key people in the industry, who might be able to help me with my interests. I would also like to attend and present in conferences and seminars that align with my study. If my schedule permits, I hope to perform onstage and take a directing class as a way of continuing my theatre practice.
Service
I am currently working for the College of Graduate Studies under Dr. Jerry McMurtry. I have expressed my interests in being more involved in the organization of the Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT). I would like to conduct an improvisation workshop that will help science graduate students improve their communication and presentation skills, especially for participants of the 3MT Competition.
Target/Potential Jobs
Academia - Professor of Theatre, Education, or Communication
Industry - Performance Trainor/Coach (Alan Alda Center for Communicating
Science, Center for Applied Drama and Research, Center for Communicating
Science)
Short- and long-term plans
1 year – Finish course work
3 years – Finish PhD program
5 years – US employment; US residency status
10 years – Stable profession; Bringing family over to the US
Journals
My research topic intersects with 3 areas of discipline – science communication, theatre, and education. Thus, it would make sense to look for journals that would cater to these interests. I have identified these journals as such:
Science Communication/Communication:
· Journal of Science Communication
· Public Understanding of Science
· Journal of Communication
Theater:
· Theatre Journal
· Theatre Topics
· Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance
Education:
· Science Education
· American Educational Research Journal
· Review of Educational Research
Funding opportunities for my research
· William and Flora Hewlett Dissertation Fellowship
· Josephine de Karman Fellowship Trust
· GPSA Travel Grant
There aren’t that many US grants made available for international students, who are studying here in the US. This makes the search for funding more challenging for non-residents like me. The College of Graduate Studies has put out a list of funding opportunities that could potentially help foreign students with their finances. There are, however, two potential opportunities that are worth looking into because of their openness to research regardless of the individual’s residency status. They are the Hewlett Foundation Fellowship and The Josephine de Karman Fellowship Trust.
For now, the Josephine de Karman Fellowship is only applicable to PhD students who are enrolled in select Californian universities for the coming schoolyear. So, this fellowship would be worth revisiting next year as their qualifications might change. Meanwhile, the Hewlett Foundation has several funding programs that cater to different research interests. The GPSA Travel Grant will help with traveling expenses when attending in-state or out-of-state conferences.
I have no experience with grant writing yet, but I might take Grant Writing as an elective course in the future.