Before I do an #introduction that talks at all about my professional or career stuff, I need to talk about the personal side first, because the work is a little misleading.
I have one true love of my life & that is planetary #astronomy. Really, all things #planets : comparative planetology, planetary geophysics, planetary evolution, big moons... all of it. If this was a just world, that is what I would be doing. But instead, my 3rd grade teacher told me boys don't like smart girls. And...
#Cosmos, the original one, came out when I was about 8 and that was that really.
But, you know, the 80s had great music but also a lot of bullshit. I'm an #atheist, #bisexual, #genderNon-conforming (I was the only girl on an all-boys hardball team when I was 9). I like #math and #coding. I took up writing in my teens, especially #scifi, #fantasy and #poetry from time-to-time. I also #crochet. I enjoy learning languages, including dead ones. #introductions are hard. There's a lot.
Okay, so professional #intro now:
I am currently working on a Ph.D. in #dataScience, where I'm trying to build #statistical models of# ice sheet loss in #Greenland.
I support myself by teaching. Lots of #math. Quantitative reasoning, pre-calc, #calc, #diffeq, linear, #stats with R all UG, but also a grad level data science course.
But, I came back to grad school at 47. That was 6 months before COVID. There was so much before that.
The #backstory is so long, so let's summarize:
20 years #teaching #math
Degrees in: #classical and #medieval studies (BA), #philosophy (BA), #linguistics (MA), #math (MS), #MIS (MS), American #history (MA).
this is my 3rd attempt at a Ph.D. My 1st grad program when I had only 1 degree decided I "lacked focus". My 2nd try was for #math, but my advisor thought I was too stupid to do math.
But then, I was telling off my teachers when I was in elementary school, so I don't take no for an answer.
Not to neglect the creative side of this #introduction:
I've written about 500 #poems or so, which I am reposting here periodically. I used to post my #crochet afghans on G+, so I may repost those one day. I took up #coloring books because they were cheaper. I've written and self-published 4 #novels, three #fantasy and one #scifi. There is a sequel if only I had to the time to edit it.
Lastly, I do follow news and #politics. I post articles I find interesting on lots of topics.
I spent 19 years teaching math (middle/high school, mostly) before transitioning to instructional technology and then adding teaching computer science to my workload, as if I wasn't busy enough! LOL.
I don't do poetry, but I DO write fantasy novels, so that's similar, right? 😁
@bencass I've also taught a couple technology classes along the way and even English comp once upon a time. For two years I did Business Analytics. The best adjunct pay I ever got doing that.
Sometimes career paths are weird.
Betsy McCall
bencass