To kick off 2013, I’m going to talk about graduate school. I’m Sarah Elizabeth McCandless, an aerospace engineering graduate from May 2012. I grew up in Fairway, KS with a younger sister who is now also at KU—studying business—and a crazy dog. I’m from a long line of Jayhawks, and going to KU was something I always wanted to do. I grew up a huge sports fan (Royals and Chiefs included—no laughs, please), and watching the Hawks both in Memorial Stadium and Allen Fieldhouse from their respective student sections is one of my favorite memories about KU.
Outside of engineering (which you’ll hear plenty about over the next month), I’m an avid runner and traveler. I ran my first marathon last April, and I’m training for another one now. I spent a semester abroad in France, which has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life. Since I returned stateside, I haven’t had the chance to return, but that hasn’t stopped me from exploring new places here!
With that introduction, why graduate school? I initially picked aerospace engineering as an undergraduate in part due to my love of travel—who doesn’t dream about flying among the stars? I spent four years learning about aerodynamics, structural design, manufacturing, and propulsion among other topics. That was good, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy my curiosity about space. My senior year, I took a class called “The Quest for Extraterrestrial Life”. It was an interesting blend of science and engineering. What are we even looking for? How do we look for that? What are the limitations in our search? You have to understand the science to know what you’re looking for, but you must also have the engineering to make that search a reality. I talked with the professor about this duality, and I found a focus for graduate school.
Currently, I’m a research assistant for a professor at the University of Texas Center for Space Research (CSR). CSR conducts research in orbit determination, space geodesy, the Earth and its environment, solar system exploration, and expanding the scientific application of space system data. Those last two focuses were what drew my attention to UT and CSR—using science and engineering to explore and understand the solar system. I’ll talk more about that next week.
So far, I have found two things to be true about graduate school—your advisor is a critical part of your education and don’t wait! The reason I ended up at UT is because of the program it offered, and the advisor who was willing to take me on as his graduate student. Because I have an interdisciplinary focus, I wanted to be in a flexible program that could foster my growth in both areas. When I went down for a site visit, I met with my future advisor and we discussed his research interests and how those would align with what I saw myself doing. As soon as he said his work involved earth system sciences, I was hooked. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have an exact thesis already planned out—I had the desire to do work in the same field. I also talked to some of his current graduate students, which is really important to help you get a full picture of how the professor is to work with, and they all had positive things to say about him. I have also already found that information from undergraduate classes is directly applicable to what I’m studying now. If graduate school is something you’re interested in, don’t wait. You will be amazed at how much you forget, which translates into a much higher workload.
Now for something completely different. If you are looking for something unique to do, I recommend taking a class at the Lawrence Art Center. They have opportunities to learn about a wide range of things, from ceramics to mosaics to painting. I took a summer class in ceramics, but they also have classes of shorter duration during the year. I always promote trying new things and staying balanced, and this is the perfect way to do that.
Before I sign off for the week, if anyone has questions or comments for me, feel free to email me anytime: [email protected]. Enjoy the upcoming weekend, and for those still at KU, your well deserved time off!
Rock Chalk,
Sarah Elizabeth