PhD Update

This semester has been WAY busier than I anticipated!  One of my classes has been great, the other two have had a lot of busy work and my TA position turned into more time than I expected... here is a quick rundown!

Plant Physiology:
            Favorite class by far this semester!  We have been learning about the effects of the environment on plants and the ways plants can adapt to survive changing conditions.  You don't really think about it but plants have to be able to adapt to whatever condition is around them because, unlike animals, fleeing is not an option.  So, when it gets really hot they upregulate the genes for Heat Shock Proteins and start making new proteins and chemicals that help them endure the hotter weather that could potentially break down the cells!  And when it gets cold they have ways of keeping ice outside of the cell and changing their cell membrane content so their membranes can stay fluid in spite of freezing temperatures (if a cell's membrane become less fluid, or more solid, it can begin to leak and eventually kill the cell)!  God's design for plants is SO COOL!!!

Plant Nutrition:
             This class was unfortunately a disappointment.  The teacher who usually handles this class had recently been promoted to a different position, in an attempt to keep this class our department head took it over.  Sounds lake a good plan right?  He has lots of experience and should know this subject in and out because of his history in plant nutrition... that's what I thought, along with the rest of my classmates, and we were all wrong.  We have actually learned the most from our multiple guest speakers than from the department head.   We ended up doing a lot of busy work and not getting much feedback on our work and have not learned much about plant nutrition either.  What have we learned?  I have come away with some good but not cohesive information about applying fertilizer, taking soil tests in Florida, irrigation and we went on a really cool fieldtrip to multiple farms in the area.  Aside from that, this class has been rather frustrating.  Would not recommend it.

Seminar:
          This is one of the few required courses in my program.  I have to compose and deliver a seminar to the department about my project proposal.  Did I mention it was to the Whole department?  No pressure.  Fortunately, I've already done this and now I just have to attend class every Monday to hear everyone else's proposals.  Some of them are awesome and really well thought out... some not so much.  But that's OK because that's part of what this class is for, to get you to think about what you are doing and why.  My proposal went really well, but I didn't realize this was the class I was technically in!  I thought I signed up for Seminar Prep, no big deal right?  Since I already took Seminar and did well I shouldn't have to take seminar prep right?  Apparently not.  Since they are both required, I still have to take seminar prep in the Fall... shouldn't be hard but still rather annoying...

Ta for Growing Fruit for Fun and Profit:
           I have had a lot of fun listening to the different speakers in this class, the undergrads have been overall good, but then there are those issues that you must expect as TA.  Grade disputes, wonky excuses, and threats to go to higher authorities.  Aside from those this class hasn't been too much of a problem, just time consuming.

Project Extras:
           Work with my peaches has really picked up this spring.  I am still working to get estimates for the irrigation installation and did some calculations and searching earlier in the year to get the granular fertilizer started on the mature part of the study.  All in all this is rolling along and it looks like I will be busy soon with harvesting!

In other news I will be getting to go back to WKU soon to present my peach proposal to them!  During that time I am also going to some friends graduations and spending time with my family!

Well, that's the school news for now.  The next post will be more fun!  Promise!