Category: Forge Your Path
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How I Chose My Research Group and What I’d Do Differently Now
Read more: How I Chose My Research Group and What I’d Do Differently NowIn this episode, I share an old blog post that I wrote in Fall 2021 after going through the process of rotating through research groups and choosing my research group. Then I share some reflections now 4 years later, as a 5th year student and what I’d consider more, knowing what I know now.
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Personal Websites for Academics and Scientists
Read more: Personal Websites for Academics and ScientistsThis livestream is part of the Best Personal Academic Websites Contest 2025, the 3rd annual contest hosted by Jennifer van Alstyne of The Social Academic, Brittany Trinh of the Beyond Your Science Podcast, and Ian Li creator of Owlstown, a free academic website builder.
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Medical Sciences Orchestra – Spring 2025 Concert
Read more: Medical Sciences Orchestra – Spring 2025 Concert(Note: apologies for the slightly tilted frame! The video will also cut between pieces.) Medical Sciences Orchestra at UW-Madison April 13, 2025 Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall Hamel Music Center Joe Mahin and Kelby Schnepel, conductors 1. Coriolan Overture by Ludwig van Beethoven 2. Symphony No 3, 2nd mvt by Johannes Brahms 3. Hungarian March […]
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Building an Online Presence in Grad School is HARD. Here’s What I’d Do To Get Started Anyway
Read more: Building an Online Presence in Grad School is HARD. Here’s What I’d Do To Get Started AnywayIn this episode, I reflect on some lessons I’ve learned from being a website designer for grad students and early career researchers to experiencing the same challenges after becoming a graduate student myself. I share some tips on what I’d focus on to get started on building my online presence.
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Why I Stepped Away from Science Writing And What Brought Me Back
Read more: Why I Stepped Away from Science Writing And What Brought Me BackIn this episode, we’ll chat about how I started my science communication journey and what I’ve learned. I will also read my most recent article that was published in The Dish Wisconsin, a food literary magazine at UW-Madison.
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Deferring Grad School: Why I Deferred and What No One Told Me
Read more: Deferring Grad School: Why I Deferred and What No One Told MeIn this episode, I share about how and why I deferred grad school and what I wish I did instead. I also share some tips based on my experience for graduate school applicants who want to defer.
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How Chopin Revived My Motivation to Complete My PhD on a Strong Note
Read more: How Chopin Revived My Motivation to Complete My PhD on a Strong NoteIn this episode, I talk about how Chopin’s Op. 10 No. 1 changed my attitude at two different times in my life: learning piano during my middle school years and completing this last year(ish) of my chemistry PhD.
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Mmm, Chemicals: Food Cannot be Chemical-Free
Read more: Mmm, Chemicals: Food Cannot be Chemical-FreeIn this article, I discuss the growing fears of chemicals in food marketing, the difference between poison and toxicity, and the concerns about synthetic chemicals in food. Read more on The Dish Wisconsin.
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Coping with Homesickness as a Graduate Student
Read more: Coping with Homesickness as a Graduate StudentIn this episode, I share my experience of coping with homesickness as a graduate student over the years.
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Fueling Your Brain and Body in Grad School
Read more: Fueling Your Brain and Body in Grad SchoolIn this episode, I share some of my tips for maintaining a healthy diet and exercise as a graduate student (*from someone who is learning how to be healthier).
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How I Redesigned My Website to Reflect My Career Growth
Read more: How I Redesigned My Website to Reflect My Career GrowthIn this episode, we’ll talk about:
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Website Design for Academics and Research Labs with Brittany Trinh and Jennifer van Alstyne
Read more: Website Design for Academics and Research Labs with Brittany Trinh and Jennifer van AlstyneBrittany Trinh returns to The Social Academic featured interview series. We talk about how her thinking on websites for professors, scientists, and researchers has changed. And, about how life has changed now that she’s back in grad school. Plus, hear about our Team VIP Day service for research lab websites. Read more on The Academic […]
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Medical Sciences Orchestra – Fall 2024 Concert
Read more: Medical Sciences Orchestra – Fall 2024 ConcertMead Witter Foundation Concert Hall Hamel Music Center Joe Mahin and Kelby Schnepel, conductors Note: unfortunately my camera malfunctioned at the very end and cut off the last 2 minutes of the Finale 😭
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Empowering Women in STEM with Dr. Lucinda Jackson of LJ Ventures
Read more: Empowering Women in STEM with Dr. Lucinda Jackson of LJ VenturesIn this episode, I interview Dr. Lucinda Jackson of LJ Ventures. We talk about how her career in environmental chemistry led to starting her own consulting business, how she incorporated many different aspects of her work, including speaking and writing books, into LJ Ventures, and how we can empower and retain more women in STEM.
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Making a Business Out of Solving Problems in STEM with Derek Miller from Genius Lab Gear
Read more: Making a Business Out of Solving Problems in STEM with Derek Miller from Genius Lab GearIn this episode, I interview Derek Miller, founder/owner of Genius Lab Gear (geniuslabgear.com). We talk about his journey from PhD to entrepreneurship while working a full-time job in materials science, the process of designing and launching products such as the Lab Coat Project, and slowly building a lifestyle business on your own terms.
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Medical Sciences Orchestra – Spring 2024 Concert
Read more: Medical Sciences Orchestra – Spring 2024 ConcertApril 27, 2024 Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall Hamel Music Center Kelby Schnepel and Elijah Schuh, conductors
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Building a Unique Skill Set during Your Undergrad/Grad Career
Read more: Building a Unique Skill Set during Your Undergrad/Grad CareerIn this edition, I want to talk about trying a lot of different things, gaining a lot of different skills, and how you can really leverage that for your future.
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How I Integrated Music and Web Design in My Latest Entrepreneurial Venture, Music Pocket Coach
Read more: How I Integrated Music and Web Design in My Latest Entrepreneurial Venture, Music Pocket CoachIn this episode, I talk about how having a lot of different skills and a lot of different interests can really be leveraged as a benefit. Because for me, I feel like I’ve been the type of person who has never really been able to focus on just one thing.
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3 Tips to Improve Your Academic Lab Website for Prospective Researchers
Read more: 3 Tips to Improve Your Academic Lab Website for Prospective ResearchersIn this episode, we’ll discuss three tips to improve your academic lab website for prospective researchers, such as updating your website content before recruitment season, creating a positions page so potential group members know what to do to join, and adding your group’s personality to the website with real photos.
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Medical Sciences Orchestra – Fall 2023 Concert
Read more: Medical Sciences Orchestra – Fall 2023 ConcertNovember 19, 2023 Mead Witter Foundation Concert Hall Hamel Music Center Conducted by Elijah Schuh Conducted by Kelby Schnepel
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Q&A About Norway (Bonus Episode)
Read more: Q&A About Norway (Bonus Episode)In this episode, I’ll answer some Q&As that I got about my trip to Norway.
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Exploring Western Norway in 2 Weeks (My Full Itinerary)
Read more: Exploring Western Norway in 2 Weeks (My Full Itinerary)In this episode, I’ll share my trip to Norway along with my itinerary – what I did in each city or town, what I thought about it, and what I might do differently knowing what I know now.
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Lessons Learned from STEM Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
Read more: Lessons Learned from STEM Entrepreneurship BootcampIn this episode, I’m sharing my experience and takeaways from the Morgridge Entrepreneurial Bootcamp at UW-Madison, such as why having an idea and passion isn’t enough to succeed as an entrepreneur, how STEM and business go together, and what PhDs and entrepreneurs have in common.
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Set Up Your Personal Academic Website with Jennifer van Alstyne, Brittany Trinh, and Ian Li
Read more: Set Up Your Personal Academic Website with Jennifer van Alstyne, Brittany Trinh, and Ian LiThinking about a personal academic website? Whether you want a do-it-yourself website or you’re thinking about hiring help, we hope the replay of our live event helps you.
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What To Do When You Don’t Like Your Website Anymore
Read more: What To Do When You Don’t Like Your Website AnymoreIn this episode, we’ll talk about what to do when you don’t like your website anymore, including what to do before any website redesign, how to identify what should be addressed in a website redesign, how to proceed with a website redesign project.
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Create Your Personal Academic Website in 3 Steps
Read more: Create Your Personal Academic Website in 3 StepsIn this episode, we’ll talk about how you can create your personal academic website in 3 steps, which are draft your website outline, develop your website content, and design your website.
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The Real Reason I Started My Side Hustle
Read more: The Real Reason I Started My Side HustleIn this episode, I share about my side hustling journey from high school until now, the thought process behind why I side hustle, and how side hustling has shaped me into the person that I am today.
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Building a Personal Brand in STEM
Read more: Building a Personal Brand in STEMIn this episode, I’ll share how I built my personal brand in STEM, including how I learned that my story, experience, and expertise were valuable, how I overcame my anxieties about building a personal brand and leveraging it to gain new opportunities for myself, and how I built a personal brand that works for me.
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The First Thing You Should Do When Creating Your Personal Academic Website
Read more: The First Thing You Should Do When Creating Your Personal Academic WebsiteIn this episode, we’ll discuss what a website strategy is, why you need one, and how to create your own for your personal academic website.
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This Grad Student Deferred Her Acceptance to Work on Her Finances
Read more: This Grad Student Deferred Her Acceptance to Work on Her FinancesIn this episode, Emily interviews Brittany Trinh, a PhD student in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Brittany originally applied to grad school in fall 2018, but she elected to defer her acceptance for two years in favor of taking a job. Brittany shares how she developed her finances, side business, and professional life in […]
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Reflecting on My 3rd semester of My PhD – Week 63-70
Read more: Reflecting on My 3rd semester of My PhD – Week 63-70In this post, I’ll share my reflections on my achievements and challenges of this semester.
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Top 3 Free Website Builders for Personal Academic Websites
Read more: Top 3 Free Website Builders for Personal Academic WebsitesStarting a website doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. In fact, there are great website builders which are free to low cost AND simple to use. In this post, I’ll discuss my top 3 free website builders for personal academic websites.
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Enjoy More Classical Music With My Winter Playlist
Read more: Enjoy More Classical Music With My Winter PlaylistThis month I’m curating a classical winter countdown playlist, featuring winter-themed/inspired pieces that are under 10 minutes. Hopefully, you’ll find some new favorites.
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Chemist Girl Autumn in Madison – PhD Weeks 59-63
Read more: Chemist Girl Autumn in Madison – PhD Weeks 59-63In this post, I share what I’ve been doing this fall semester of Year 2 of my PhD, or my chemist girl autumn.
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Here’s How I Completed the 2022 NSF GRFP Application
Read more: Here’s How I Completed the 2022 NSF GRFP ApplicationIn this post, I’ll share how I completed the 2022 NSF GRFP application.
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Having Doubts & Fears while Pursuing Your Dream with Brittany Trinh
Read more: Having Doubts & Fears while Pursuing Your Dream with Brittany TrinhWhat does it look like to pursue a path less travelled? In this episode of Daring Living, I speak with my coach, Shirley, and share my journey (and all of the ups and downs in between) as I take a leap of faith into post-graduate studies. Even if you’re not a scientist or a graduate […]
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Having Doubts & Fears while Pursuing My Dream – PhD Weeks 48-61
Read more: Having Doubts & Fears while Pursuing My Dream – PhD Weeks 48-61In this post, I share about my doubts and fears as I start my second year of my PhD.
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Piano Masterclass Performance and Lesson
Read more: Piano Masterclass Performance and LessonDuring the summer of 2022, I took piano lessons again and learned a piece that I always wanted to learn: Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, or “Pathetique.” After a few months of lessons, my piano teacher, Dr. Lina Lee, invited me to perform in a masterclass at Farley’s House of Pianos in […]
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Preparing and Attending My First ACS Conference – PhD Week 53
Read more: Preparing and Attending My First ACS Conference – PhD Week 53In this post, I’ll share how I prepared for my first ACS conference, what I did, and 5 things I wished I did instead. I’ll also share some final tips for your first ACS conference.
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Book Review: Amplifying Science Communication with Public Relations by Sheeva Azma
Read more: Book Review: Amplifying Science Communication with Public Relations by Sheeva AzmaIn this post, I’ll share my book review on Amplifying Science Communication with Public Relations by Sheeva Azma.
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My First Summer as a PhD Student – PhD Weeks 41-47
Read more: My First Summer as a PhD Student – PhD Weeks 41-47In this post, I’ll share my experience during my first summer as a PhD student.
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Lessons Learned From My Second Semester as a Chemistry TA
Read more: Lessons Learned From My Second Semester as a Chemistry TAIn this post, I’ll share my experience as a chemistry TA during the second semester of my chemistry PhD.
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Lessons Learned From My First Semester as a Chemistry TA
Read more: Lessons Learned From My First Semester as a Chemistry TAIn this post, I’ll share my experience as a support TA during my first semester of my chemistry PhD.
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How to Create a Strategic Personal Academic Website (Part 1)
Read more: How to Create a Strategic Personal Academic Website (Part 1)In this post, you’ll learn how to create a website strategy for your personal academic website.
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How to Buy a Domain Name for Your Personal Academic Website (Part 2)
Read more: How to Buy a Domain Name for Your Personal Academic Website (Part 2)In this post, you’ll learn why you need to buy a domain name ASAP, how to choose a domain name, including the difference between a .com and a .net, and how to purchase a domain name for your personal academic website.
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How to Choose a Website Builder for Your Personal Academic Website (Part 3)
Read more: How to Choose a Website Builder for Your Personal Academic Website (Part 3)In this post, you’ll learn how to choose a website builder for your personal academic website, which website builder is right for you, and why I don’t recommend Github, Wix, and Weebly.
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What You Should Know About Being a Chemistry TA
Read more: What You Should Know About Being a Chemistry TAIn this series, I will be sharing my experience as a first-year graduate student chemistry teaching assistant (TA) at UW-Madison. It will include lessons I’ve learned and helpful tips for first-time chemistry TAs.
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Finishing My 2nd Semester or 1st Year of PhD – PhD Weeks 35-40
Read more: Finishing My 2nd Semester or 1st Year of PhD – PhD Weeks 35-40In this post, I’ll share what I’ve been up to in the last month of my spring 2022 semester.
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My Experience with Chemistry Grad School Exams – PhD Weeks 30-34
Read more: My Experience with Chemistry Grad School Exams – PhD Weeks 30-34In this post, I’ll share my experience with exams in chemistry grad school.
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Starting My Research and Restarting My Business – PhD Weeks 25-29
Read more: Starting My Research and Restarting My Business – PhD Weeks 25-29In this post, I share how I’ve been navigating the first month of research, including overcoming lab anxiety, creating a writing practice, and restarting my business.
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How I Made My Grad School Decision
Read more: How I Made My Grad School DecisionIn this post, I’ll share about how I decided which graduate school to go to pursue my PhD in chemistry.
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How to Speak Up, Ask Questions, and Accept that You’ll Be Wrong Sometimes – PhD Weeks 20-24
Read more: How to Speak Up, Ask Questions, and Accept that You’ll Be Wrong Sometimes – PhD Weeks 20-24In this post, I share how I relearned to speak up, ask questions, and accept that I’ll be wrong throughout this PhD process.
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How to Not Be Afraid of Managing Your Money in Grad School – PhD Weeks 18-19
Read more: How to Not Be Afraid of Managing Your Money in Grad School – PhD Weeks 18-19In this post, I’ll share my personal finance journey during my 9-5 job, transitioning my finances to grad school, and creating my new financial plan for grad school.
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Reflecting on My First Semester of My Chemistry PhD – PhD Week 17
Read more: Reflecting on My First Semester of My Chemistry PhD – PhD Week 17In this post, I’ll share my reflections on my first semester of my chemistry PhD, including how I found the right research group for me, maintained my physical and mental health during the semester, incorporated hobbies back into my life, and dealt with homesickness and doubt.
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5 Things to Do Before Choosing a Chemistry Research Group – PhD Weeks 12-16
Read more: 5 Things to Do Before Choosing a Chemistry Research Group – PhD Weeks 12-16In this post, I share the 5 things I did before I chose my chemistry research group.
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How to Incorporate Your Hobbies Into Your PhD – PhD Weeks 10-11
Read more: How to Incorporate Your Hobbies Into Your PhD – PhD Weeks 10-11In this post, I’m sharing my musical journey throughout my life, how I took a break from it because of my PhD, and how I’m incorporating it into my PhD routine now.
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How to Use Feedback to Improve – PhD Weeks 8 & 9
Read more: How to Use Feedback to Improve – PhD Weeks 8 & 9In this post, I share how I use feedback to improve.
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How to Be A Chill Chemistry Grad Student – PhD Weeks 6 & 7
Read more: How to Be A Chill Chemistry Grad Student – PhD Weeks 6 & 7In this post, I share two ways to stay chill as a chemistry grad student.
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How to Successfully Start the First Semester of a PhD – PhD Weeks 4 & 5
Read more: How to Successfully Start the First Semester of a PhD – PhD Weeks 4 & 5In this post, I share three lessons that helped me successfully start my first semester of my chemistry PhD.
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How to Relearn Study Habits After Working a 9-5 – PhD Week 3
Read more: How to Relearn Study Habits After Working a 9-5 – PhD Week 3In this post, I share my takeaways on being a student again.
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How to be a Good Chemistry TA – PhD Week 2
Read more: How to be a Good Chemistry TA – PhD Week 2In this post, I share my takeaways on how to be a good chemistry TA.
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How to Survive a Chemistry PhD Orientation – PhD Week 1
Read more: How to Survive a Chemistry PhD Orientation – PhD Week 1In this post, I share my 3 takeaways from Week 1 of my chemistry PhD.
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How I Overcame These 5 Limiting Beliefs About Grad School
Read more: How I Overcame These 5 Limiting Beliefs About Grad SchoolWhen I accepted my offer to a chemistry PhD program, I felt SO excited. Finally – my dream of going to grad school was finally going to happen after my 2.5 years of “gap years.” To my surprise, the months and weeks leading up to grad school have been filled with self-doubt. Here are some […]
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5 Important Lessons I Learned in the Chemical Manufacturing Industry
Read more: 5 Important Lessons I Learned in the Chemical Manufacturing IndustryIn this post, I wanted to share some important lessons I’ve learned while working in the chemical manufacturing industry.
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Why I Applied to Grad School for the Second Time
Read more: Why I Applied to Grad School for the Second TimeAfter working 2 years in industry, I wanted to apply to grad school again. In this post, I’ll talk about how I got here, why I deferred my initial acceptance, and why I want to apply to grad school after my industry experience.
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Engineering, Chemistry, and Websites with the Enjeneer Podcast
Read more: Engineering, Chemistry, and Websites with the Enjeneer PodcastI was interviewed by Jennifer Reynoso from the Enjeneer Podcast about chemical engineering, chemistry, and websites.
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Personal Academic Websites with The Social Academic
Read more: Personal Academic Websites with The Social AcademicI was interviewed by Jennifer van Alstyne from The Social Academic podcast.
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How Nonsugar Sweeteners Affect Gut Health
Read more: How Nonsugar Sweeteners Affect Gut HealthDo you take your coffee with a spoonful of sugar or use a nonsugar sweetener such as Sweet’N Low or Equal? These nonsugar sweeteners are called nonnutritive sweeteners because they contain little to no calories per gram, compared with nutritive sweeteners such as sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup. Although nonsugar sweeteners have long been considered safe to eat, newer […]
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Develop your industrial knowledge
Read more: Develop your industrial knowledgeI contributed a short section, “Develop your industrial knowledge,” to an article titled, “Recent hires reflect on the industry experience,” where I and other new industrial chemists share what they’ve learned so far and what advice they have for others. Read more on Chemical and Engineering News.
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Do What You Love and Make It Worthwhile
Read more: Do What You Love and Make It WorthwhileWhat is your passion? For me, it’s music. I played piano since I was 5 and played in an orchestra since middle school. When I got to college, I thought I should focus on my studies and didn’t touch my violin for a few months. But that didn’t last for long. I realized that playing […]
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Thinking about the Future from the Future
Read more: Thinking about the Future from the FutureIt’s finally setting in that I’m no longer a college student. Every day, I’m up by 6:00am, commute to work, work for nine hours, and come home by 6:30pm. I travel nearly 90 miles every day and spend at least 12 hours per week in a car. Settling into this unintentional routine makes me feel […]
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Preparing for a #Chemjob
Read more: Preparing for a #ChemjobMy goal was to find a job before graduation. Here’s how I did it.
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Welcome to R&D
Read more: Welcome to R&DNew year, new look on the blog, and a new job! Three weeks ago, I officially started my first job as a technician at a polymer R&D lab. I initially felt self-conscious about being the newest and youngest person. My manager (B) and mentor (C) welcomed me and introduced me to the team. As a […]
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Onwards and Upwards
Read more: Onwards and UpwardsA reflection on graduating and entering a new phase of my life.
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The End of the NSF GRFP
Read more: The End of the NSF GRFPI finally submitted the NSF GRFP today! What a great relief. At the beginning of this week, I almost gave up and did not intend to submit it at all because I did not want to submit something bad. I reasoned with myself that I already invested so much time into it, as did my […]
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Visiting University of Wisconsin-Madison
Read more: Visiting University of Wisconsin-MadisonMy first grad school visit at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for their CHOPS program.
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Searching for The One
Read more: Searching for The OneThe search for my future graduate school begins. In late April, I took the GRE without knowing which schools to send my scores to. Since I didn’t have time to dive deep into research and faculty, I selected four schools based its location and its US News rankings. Over the summer, I slowly gathered more […]
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The Beginning of the NSF GRFP
Read more: The Beginning of the NSF GRFPOver the past four years, I’ve applied to numerous programs and scholarships. For every 10 applications, I get an acceptance. The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) is my next endeavor. The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based graduate degrees at accredited United […]
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Welcome to the Zastrow Lab
Read more: Welcome to the Zastrow LabI am officially a member of the Zastrow Lab!
Brittany Trinh 