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Holiday in Europe
Olivia Wilkins
The family and I spent two weeks in Europe before the holidays, enjoying the cold weather, Christmas markets, and convenient public transport.
Read MoreGraduate School: Applying, Living, Thesising
The Professional Student is a blog about everything grad school from the application process to my experiences living as a grad student, being a parent in grad school, and researching the role of chemistry in the evolution of our universe.
ABCs of Course Design (2/3)
Olivia Wilkins
I took a short course about course design in November 2017. In the second installment, we covered strategies for motivating students and transparent teaching as well as active learning strategies.
Read MoreDeciphering the Rosetta Stone: 67P
Olivia Wilkins
The Rosetta mission to comet 67P gave us some insights into cosmochemistry, but it also showed we have much to learn in the way of comets. For my final project in Cosmochemistry, I discussed the implications of Rosetta's observations of water, oxygen, and organics in 67P.
Read MoreABCs of Course Design (1/3)
Olivia Wilkins
I'm taking a short course about course design. In the first installment, we covered student development, backwards design, and learning outcomes.
Read MoreRecap: Term 4
Olivia Wilkins
Summer, travel, teaching, and observing. These are the highlights from my fourth term of grad school.
Read MoreA Night in the Life of an Astronomer
Olivia Wilkins
I spent the night observing exoplanets with my friend Cam. Ever wonder how astronomers spend their late nights? Well, now you can know!
Read MoreRoad Trip to Totality: The 2017 Solar Eclipse
Olivia Wilkins
My family took the opportunity to experience totality during the 2017 solar eclipse and turned it into a 2,770-mile road trip! Along the way, we stopped at some pretty cool places.
Read MoreRecap: Term 3
Olivia Wilkins
My final required course, teaching Ch 101, and more outreach. These are the highlights from my third term of grad school.
Read MoreChemical archaeology in space
Olivia Wilkins
When I was younger, I wanted to be an archaeologist. I figured astrochemistry was close enough. It's space archaeology, space meteorology, astrobiology, and so, so much more....
Read MoreThe evolution of the classroom lecture
Olivia Wilkins
In "Is the classroom lecture going extinct or simply evolving?", Dr. Catherine Drennan showed that "small changes make a difference" in teaching. Examples include getting creative with clickers, incorporating examples of real applications of material, and showing the faces of science (other than the lecturer).
Read MoreShould you apply for grad school at the same time as the Fulbright (or another program)?
Olivia Wilkins
Unsure about whether you should apply to a "gap year" program and grad school at the same time? There are a number of things to consider, but ultimately you should decide what you think is best for you.
Read MoreNSF GRFP Activity Report: Year 1 (2016-2017)
Olivia Wilkins
NSF Graduate Research Fellows submit an Annual Activity Report summarizing how the grantee progressed during the previous year as an NSF fellow. Because the NSF GRFP is federally-funded, I am making it public here to share how my graduate school experience has been impacted by the grant.
Read MoreRecap: Term 2
Olivia Wilkins
More coursework, starting research, outreach, teaching, and preparing for Astrochemistry 101. These are the highlights from my second term of grad school.
Read MoreScientific outreach isn't just for kids
Olivia Wilkins
At the end of January, I joined Caltech's chemistry club at Cleveland Elementary in Pasadena. Being at an elementary school, my audience seemed obvious: the younger half of the popular K-12 outreach target. What I found, however, was that parents were just as, if not more, interested in the demonstrations, and I realized that in outreach to students, we often overlook an important ally: their parents and guardians.
Read MoreTeachWeek: Day 5
Olivia Wilkins
TeachWeek is a "celebration of teaching and learning" at Caltech. This year, the program is centered around the time of Empowering Learning. On the agenda for the fifth day: a rapid-fire session giving ideas and practices that can be incorporated into your own teaching.
Read MoreTeachWeek 2017: Day 4
Olivia Wilkins
TeachWeek is a "celebration of teaching and learning" at Caltech. This year, the program is centered around the time of Empowering Learning. On the agenda for the fourth day: a seminar about transforming general chemistry into a more active and effective experience.
Read MoreTeachWeek 2017: Day 2
Olivia Wilkins
TeachWeek is a "celebration of teaching and learning" at Caltech. This year, the program is centered around the time of Empowering Learning. On the agenda for the second day: a lecture about transparency in higher education.
Read MoreTeachWeek 2017: Day 1
Olivia Wilkins
TeachWeek is a "celebration of teaching and learning" at Caltech. This year, the program is centered around the time of Empowering Learning. On the agenda for the first day: a panel discussion with Caltech faculty and alumni.
Read MoreMom, grad student
Olivia Wilkins
The internet was trying to convince me that grad school and parenting wouldn't mix. Fortunately, I've found myself at a graduate institution that not only is open to me being a parent but, in my experience, actively supports it.
Read MoreRecap: Term 1
Olivia Wilkins
Coursework, joining a research group, new friendship, teaching, and parenting. These are the highlights from my first term of graduate school.
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