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Graduate Student Research Working Group

Earlier this semester, a few senior graduate students started to organize a research working group in order to provide a space to informally discuss research progress, get experience talking to people not directly in their research areas about their work, troubleshoot programming issues, and support one another to make weekly progress. As the semester developed, the focus of the group tended towards research accountability. Group members recorded long term goals related to professional milestones; for many members this was related to dates by which they would like to pass candidacy, defend their dissertation, finish projects or have work submitted to a journal. Members also chose a process-oriented method to track their weekly progress not tied to their goals like the amount of time spent working on research, the number of intervals of a specific time worked, etc. The choice to track progress by focusing on the process of getting work done is based on the principle that it leads to an easier way to measure success and get self-motivated rather than focusing on long-term goals which can lead to procrastination or feeling overwhelmed. Week to week, the students in the working group discuss how successful their previous week was, discuss any particularly good or bad things that happened throughout the week, and reflect on their progress towards their goal.
As the semester comes to an end, the final meeting of the year will be held on December 5th from 11 am – 12 pm in 212 Cockins Hall. We would like to invite anyone interested in participating in the group to join us for the meeting and enjoy some donuts from Buckeye Donuts. While the group originated to talk about research, the success framework followed by the group is flexible and could be applied to any goal. All students in the department are encouraged to come and participate.
Please see below for thoughts about the group from some of the members.

Vincent Geels (4th year PhD Statistics):

Having this regular meeting has been a great way to see how others manage their time and workload from week to week. I’ve been able to take away valuable ideas after each meeting that have helped me improve my productivity and strike a better balance between work and life. Finally, the social component of these meetings has been a welcome bonus as I transition out of coursework with fellow students to the research-focused phase of my PhD trajectory.

Akira Horiguchi (5th year PhD Statistics):

Once you stop taking classes and start your research full-time, it’s easy to silo yourself and get stuck in the same productivity loop. These meetings help me figure out concrete steps toward becoming a more productive researcher, which I can take with me once I’m out of graduate school and am truly on my own.

Nate Onnen (5th year PhD Statistics):

One of the best things about the working group for me was realizing that I was not alone. A lot of the time when you get into your personal research, it is so easy to think that you are the only person struggling. By hearing others talk about their research, you learn that it is just a messy process in general, and that we’re all going through the same stuff.

The Pets of the Department

In this post students from the program write about their pets. Enjoy viewing and reading about these adorable animals!


Joel Bracken (2nd year MS Statistics):

 

About a month ago my girlfriend and I adopted Mountie! He’s a Goldendoodle and almost 4 months old! He’s a very curious, scrappy, and cuddly guy. He enjoys biting the eyes off his plushy toys, getting love from strangers while on walks, and watching his favorite sports team, the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Han Fu (2nd year PhD Biostatistics):

This is Schrodinger. He was a stray cat and ran into our home ten days ago. He is so cute and sweet so we decided to accept him as a family member.

Vincent Geels (4th year PhD Statistics):

My housemates and I welcomed a kitten into our West Philadelphia home in 2011. We considered various names for the little fella–Lance, Keith, etc.–but ultimately decided on “Ned.” It has proven to be a fitting name for him.
After the original housemates went our separate ways, my wife and I kept Ned and ended up bringing him with us to Columbus when I started grad school at OSU. I like to think he appreciated the move to a less busy home and, since we decamped from our old apartment in the Short North to a house in the Clintonville area, the extra space to roam around in, too.
Ned likes what all cats like, really: sleeping for 20+ hours a day, basking in the sun, chasing shoestrings and shiny things. In the past few years he’s also developed into a sometime lap cat (mostly during the cold months–surprise!), which does not go unappreciated. I love this little guy.
A requisite picture:

Zihan Lin & Xiaohan Guo (3rd year PhD Biostatistics):

Cookie is a three-year-old boy, and we adopted him from the Cat Welfare Association at 2017 Christmas. I would say it’s very warm to have such a furry ball in our life, especially when you come home and find your cat is always waiting at the window. Although cat could be very naughty sometimes, Cookie does help us feel less stressful and have much more laughing.  We really enjoy the company of Cookie, and he is already an important part of our life.

James Matuk (4th year PhD Statistics):

This is my wife and I’s mischievous cat Chloe. We adopted her around two years ago when she was just five months old. She was quite shy when we first got her, but has grown up to be very outgoing and loves to snuggle up with us.

Julia Mejia (2nd year MAS Statistics):

 

Penny is a 3-year-old Vizsla who loves to go on runs and chase squirrels!

Nate Onnen (5th year PhD Statistics):

 

Name: Spencer
Favorite Hobby: Naps
Favorite treat: Turkey Jerky.
(My partner and) I adopted this little guy back in August, and I’m so happy to have done so. This little scamp is a great dog/companion!
Nikki Schnitzler (3rd year PhD Statistics)
This is my cat Newton, who I call Newt for short. One picture is shortly after I adopted him and one is more current.
Newt was my undergrad graduation present from my parents. He is almost three and his favorite foods are Oreos, Goldfish (the crackers, not the real fish), and anything with carbs in it. He loves to play with a laser pointer and distract me by sitting on whatever I am trying to work on at the moment.
Yuxuan Xin (1st Year PhD Statistics):
I am in my first year in Ph.D. Program of Statistics , and my cat is domestic medium hair called Frosty, while I would like to call her RMB, which means Chinese Currency. She is so cute and attracts me so much that I hope to pet her at every time everywhere! Actually, she is adopted by my boyfriend Yang 4 years ago and it is him who gives her that weird and interesting name. After he graduates, he asked me to take care of RMB so that RMB is not only my pet but also with my miss and love. I hope that everyone who sees her picture will feel happier!