The Update- Part 4

It’s been about a month since my last post, which admittedly is far too long. Instead of the usual fare, I thought it was a good time to give a quick update as to where I am, and where I am headed.

To sum it up- I am finished with my PhD. I received the official notice of the acceptance of my dissertation by the graduate school. It’s funny, the big steps in the end of your PhD- getting the main document past your committee (and then when they allow you to schedule a defense), and then actually passing the defense, those are the big hurdles, and the ones you are excited to finish. After those two hurdles are crossed, then there is the matter of extra paperwork and getting the document accepted by the university. Neither has much fanfare, and the whole thing is a bit anti-climactic. But hey, I’m done!  Everything I needed to do for the rest of my degree is taken care of. So, unofficially (my degree isn’t technically conferred until August), I am George Beckham, PhD. Wooo!

The next step for me is to start a job in the fall. I was lucky enough to be offered a faculty position at California State University Monterey Bay, for which I was eager to accept. Even going into the phone interviews, this was my top choice. Good university, good department, good coworkers (and who understand and care about sports), and good location. It was not a difficult decision to head back there in the slightest. I am really excited to get my feet on the ground and begin carving out my position there.

This summer has been and will be a pretty eventful one. Between defending my dissertation, packing, moving across the country, and starting a new job, I will have my hands full. This is awesome!