Life update
It's been a good while since I've posted (over 4 months, actually), so I figured I'd take a bit of my time this Sunday morning and say hi.
Work:
I'm finally feeling like I've hit a good stride with my job. The stress is no longer omnipresent, and I feel like I know what I'm actually doing (though the impostor syndrome is still there a bit). It's only taken two years. I feel like I actually have some peace about things now. Also, I just realized this, but I never did state that I finally made it back to Buffalo, thanks to my new boss.
I've had some opportunities recently to think about my position, and what I want out of it. I've realized that I truly do have one of those unicorn jobs that every grad student dreams of. On top of that, my boss is incredibly flexible and supportive of my continued academic aspirations (more on those later). I haven't given the position (nor her) the credit that I should be, so I'm trying to adopt a more grateful attitude for what I do have. Not many bosses out there would be as supportive as she has been. I feel supported, and occasionally even recognized for my work, both inside the agency and outside.
While the position isn't 100% of what I'd like it to be (can't really go too in depth on that detail, but there are things I wish I could change), it's pretty damned close. Not only that, but I have the opportunity to advocate for the changes I think need to be made; changes that impact people's lives and help correct 400 years of missteps. I won't be in this position forever, but I'll take the time I have now to make a difference, and do the best work I can. This is in marked contrast to my last post, so yeah. I guess it goes to show that a year (or even 4 months) can change a lot. Things are so much better. :)
Academia:
Wow. Trying to remember everything that's gone on here. My article on archaeological soundscapes is still "in press" but it's gotten enough publicity. My coauthor and I have been interviewed by numerous publications/podcasts/websites (even more so than the last time I wrote about this--I'm talking BBC World Service Radio, NPR, NBC Mach, The Conversation, Science Magazine). We're collaborating with some cool folks on applying our technology to VR recreations of ancient cities. We've been invited to a symposium on archaeoacoustics in Barcelona (we're actually trying to figure out how we can swing that). People actually know my name now.
My coauthor is also going to be changing her dissertation topic to this project (given that she's already done all the work on it and she'll be able to finish her dissertation rather quickly this way). She's asked me to be on her committee, so that will be fun.
The chapter I coauthored on color & personal adornment in the Southwest has been submitted as part of an edited volume, and the reviews have been positive. We're slowly working on revisions, but yeah. This volume may be one of those seminal volumes that people will refer to for years, according to one of the reviews.
My edited volume has received one review, but we're still waiting on the second review to come in. Generally positive, though this one will take a bit of work. Unfortunately, the guy who developed our methodology, and who was one of my authors, passed away a week ago. So I've been working with the publisher on that. To be honest (and I've told my publisher this), I feel unqualified to edit his words, but it may come down to that. We'll see. At the very least, I know who I'm dedicating the volume to. :/
I also wrote a biographical paper on A.C. Parker, who was the first indigenous archaeologist. I've submitted it for review at one of the regional publications, but we'll see. I told the editor there that I recognize the piece will need work--I'm not entirely happy with the paper, but I'm not sure what else to do with it, and it will benefit from a good peer review.
I'm also working on an analysis of obsidian artifacts from Teotihuacan. This will be the largest such analysis ever conducted (1500 artifacts), and I'm doing the statistical analyses on the pXRF data for sourcing the artifacts to individual volcanic sources. So this is a fun little side project. :) Unfortunately, my coauthor is working on the real interpretation by himself on a separate publication, but I've made myself available in case he wants to talk stats on things. But I'm happy to have my name associated with a more "sciency" publication, as most everything I've been working on in the past couple of years has been phenomenology (with the exception of my edited volume).
I'm most likely going to be co-teaching a class on cultural resource management and its legal framework in the fall, too. I'm waiting on final approval of that, but there shouldn't be an issue. The department thinks it's a good idea and we have enough interest from students that it shouldn't be a problem.
Finally, I put together and am hosting a sponsored forum on non-academic careers in archaeology at our next big annual meeting (this time it's in D.C.). I'm also speaking at a forum on diversity and inclusion in archaeology, and I'm delivering a talk this Wednesday on small-scale/secondary states in the American Southwest.
So...it seems I'm actually an academic with a minor amount of name recognition. As the hubby likes to say, somehow I'm managing to make myself a professor without actually being hired as a professor. :P This is on top of my real, full time job, so I've been pretty busy. (And if anyone who's actually reading this wonders why I'm not talkative, this is usually why.) I try my best to make myself have a day off every weekend, and dedicate the other day to research/writing.
Anyways, I should get back to work. I need to prepare my talk for Wednesday. :)