Advancement: The First Step
It’s been more than a few months since my last update. This was somewhat intentional since I knew most of my time, and focus, would be contained to the work preparing for my advancement exam1. I’m back now and am proud to say that I came out the other side passing my exam unconditionally2.
I plan to provide more details on the research side of my exam at a later point in time. I am in the process of doing work that will lead to my first paper and do not want to release too much information or data until that work is complete. The other half of my advancement exam involved an independent research proposal. The topic I selected was an investigation into the effects of doping on the ionic conductivity of magnesium metal as an anode for future batteries. Since I will not be completing any of the work proposed I have included the proposal here for anyone to read if they are interested: PDF of paper.
Like a priority race you train for, this has been another milestone for my progress towards a PhD. I am excited to dive back into my research more. While challenges are arguably a guarantee I know each one will make me a more knowledgeable and skilled scientist and I’ll be working hard until it’s time for the next “race” in my research.
- See previous post for more details: Comfort Zone ↩
- Sometimes, in our department anyway, a student can pass “conditionally”, which means that they may have to rewrite a section of a paper, re-deliver a presentation, or something else along these lines. My committee determined that I had done sufficiently enough that no such requirement was needed and that I passed “unconditionally”. ↩
