Stanford Sabbatical Winter 2023

I had the privilege in working with the Stanford Life Design Lab Team in the Winter of 2023. https://lifedesignlab.stanford.edu/team Kathy Davies, Urmila Venkatesh, Dustin Liu, Christian Simamora, Shanice Webb, Bill Burnett - what a team! I learned so much from them about designing your life principles for first year and senior undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. https://designingyour.life/ I strengthened my skills in design thinking concepts, brainstorming, prototyping, class engagement in topics such as success, discernment, wayfinding, and so much more, all outlined in Bill and Dave's book. THANK-YOU! 

 As for my living, I stayed at a one bedroom Stanford West Residence practicing minimalist living surrounded by other scholars and faculty. So refreshing! One Korean floor bed, one floor chair, one floor table, one bowl, one pot, and I used one closet. The living room and den stayed empty enough for me to dance and work out in, if I wanted. I walked and ran everywhere (closest grocery was 1 km away), only having to use uber twice for groceries coming back home. I took the train to travel to the city (SFO) for events and seeing friends. It was liberating not having things, a car and furniture to clean/dust. I took advantage of Stanford programs such zumba classes (love it!), ballroom dance, healthy living, personal trainer for my half marathon training, and ran the San Francisco Half Marathon by the Pacific Ocean! The run was breathtaking and inspiring to run my personal best at 2:42! I maintained my piano by playing at some beautiful music rooms on campus.

West coast living is definitely different from east coast Boston because the weather is warm all the time, people are outside exercising more. It was common to see people show up to class in yoga wear because they had a fitness session in between. Loved it! 

Big thank-you to my co-parent partner who made this possible as he hosted the kids for a bit over two months (I did visit once in the middle). Kids could have come with me, but then they would have been in three different schools in one year, so they stayed home in Toronto. Grateful and lucky for this opportunity! Thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Stanford and bringing it all to my home U of Toronto!

Harvard Sabbatical Weeks Two - Twelve Fall 2022

I experenced so many scholarly and personal adventures during my sabbatical, but I will summarize here in one posting because I so many current events I would like to cover. More details will be in my next book!

Scholarship

I attended some of the programming for the Master's of Medical Sciences in Immunology as I had been involved with the Applied Immunology Program at my home university - as an observor and a guest lecturer for the individual development plan and career planning session. I also attended their PhD Pathfinder program and other sessions hosted by the Office of Graduate Education. I learned so much from the professors and students there. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. Thank-you!! Enjoyed a beautiful office space at 77 Pasteur and visited many times to the Cambridge campus to hear lectures outside of my discipline and visit museums. I gave four talks at Tufts University and worked on a national project developing GPD programs.

Personal Growth

I student jazz piano and composition at Musician's Playground, Boston Commons and gave a private concert with about 15 of my Boston friends at the end of my time there. I will post the video on my music youtube channel one day. Skated on Boston Common. Enjoyed the oldest subway system in USA. Stayed at 67 Joy St during my second half of my sabbatical which was the place the first African-American woman doctor lived. I was part of history as I am pretty certain I am the first Korean-Canadian GPD professor in Canada. I thought that was cool, but I do not think my name will get a plaque on the outside wall of the building.

I met a friend who took me to the famous Harvard carillons, visited the coastline with some previous students from U of Toronto, had many dinners with old and new friends and mentees, attended cultural events and just met so many cool, intelligent people who I still keep in touch with today. I ran the Cambridgeside Half Marathon  - even though I had sore throat and a few days later, tested positive for covid for the first time. I stayed home for a week and wore a mask for a few days after. I ran a half marathon and beat my previous time!

I missed my childern terribly, but I visited Toronto every three weekends and the semester flew by. I almost gave up and packed it up in the first week, but my women professor friends told me to embrace Nana time and reminded me how it took me years to plan this valuable experience. Thank-you to their Papa who hosted them in Toronto while I was away. I had thought of bringing them to the USA while I was on sabbatical but then they would have to be in three different schools in one year - so we decided to keep them home.

Harvard exceeded my expectations as a place of scholarly and personal growth. I miss it from time to time and hope to visit again very soon!

PLOS One GPD Publication!

The program I started in 2012 with Dr. Reithmeier - the graduate professional development (GPD) course, the one that was featured in Science Careers - has come a long way!

Our impact of the curricularly embedded GPD was recently published in PLOS One and in 2 weeks, it has 503 views!

So happy to have our work out there for all to read about and share discussions with. So thankful for all the students and mentees who have made this course possible - you are the superstars that made it happen!!

Instagram Handle

Hello Everyone,

You will be able to find my reels at nanaleepianokeys. See you there, if you have IG!

Hope you are all enjoying the Spring sun!!

Nana

Harvard Week One

September 12, 2022

I have been here for almost 6 days now and I feel peaceful, excited to be part of this community and happy to be living a minimalistic lifestyle in a one bedroom place in Jamaica Plain. It is close to the subway and the commute to 77 Louis Pasteur is short and sweet. 

I am missing the children so much...

But looking forward to this experience. The people here are amazing and I have a beautiful office all to myself! Excited to meet students and other colleagues.

I have a total of 63 items listed here. This should last all Fall. 

The minimalism is bringing the peace, as I have less "things" to take care of.

1. A book
2. A journal
3. An agenda
4. Journal called story of my life
5. Pencil case with pens, pencils and eraser
6. Work notebook
7. Piano book one
8. Piano book two
9. Watch
10. Necklace
11. Bracelet 1
12. Bracelet 2
13. Bracelet 3
14. Lap top and charger
15. Cell phone and charger
16. Shoes
17. Running shoes
18. Suitcase
19. Jacket
20. Umbrella
21. Yoga mat
22. Grocery bag one
23. Grocery bag two
24. Grocery bag three
25. Socks
26. Undergarments
27. Feminine napkins
28. Passport
29. Harvard ID
30. Wallet
31. Eye glasses and case
32. Jeans 1
33. Jeans 2
34. Black pants
35. Black tote
36. Heating pad
37. Jacket2
38. Toiletries
39. Makeup and case
40. Curling Iron
41. Blazer
42. Sweater
43. - 51: 9 dresses and 52-64: 11 tops

More later!

Sabbatical to Harvard University Overview

September-Dec 2022

I arrived into Logan International Airport with two suitcases, a backpack and about 80 items (including my passport) to embrace my sabbatical at Harvard University. I was going to sit in and observe a course and teach a session for their Master's of Medical Sciences in Immunology and learn how professional development is delivered to Harvard's bioscience PhDs and MSc's. I had also set up a professional development monthly workshop series with Tufts University and some work with UMass Medical.

All of these activities were made possible by me building professional relationships with colleagues at Harvard, Tufts and UMassMedical over years of conference attending and speaking.

The first few weeks I stayed at Jamaica Plain, a neighbourhood in Boston, which was right adjacent the Harvard Arboretum, a beautiful place where I thoroughly enjoyed the forest trails for my daily runs or walks. 

The second half of my semester, I moved to Boston Commons, right in the heart of the city, cobblestones and all. 

I worked with creative, intelligent, enthusiastic faculty, staff and students. I attended thought-provoking seminars all over campus. I made new friends and reconnected with old ones. I learned lots about life at Harvard and about myself through the process.  

Harvard definitely has the scholarship vibe. 

I kept notes. I will detail them in the entries to follow!

Updates for 2025

Dear Everyone,

Happy 2025!

It has been a while since I have written. Many things have happened in my life and am just now absorbing and processing. I think I will start writing again as the stories I have within me are ready to be told. 

Some stories about motherhood with older children. New stories about my career, sabbaticals to Harvard and Stanford, the launching of our book, the journey with cancer (I am ok now!), my music productions and Spotify debut, and the emotional experience of an amicable, conscious uncoupling. Co-parenting. How I learned so much about myself through it all. So many things to share - I will try to write weekly. I hope these stories help anyone who might be going through any of these, anyone who decides to lead an authentic life and walk another direction when everyone else seems to be walking elsewhere.

I might take these new stories to another website - will let you know if I do.

Thank-you for reading, thank-you for either visiting for the first time or coming back after I had taken a break. Ready for some stories? Stay tuned.

GPD4: Step One of Reflection

Video #4: Step One of GPD is Reflection and How to Use the Individual Development Plan
https://myidp.sciencecareers.org/

GPD3 The What and How

What is the curriculum-embedded graduate professional development course? Here I go over the course and some of the careers my students have landed.

GPD2: Sample Career Stories

Video Number Two: Impact of Graduate Professional Development with Sample Career Stories. These career stories are highlighted pathways of PhD graduates. Names have been changed or modified to protect their privacy. Emil's story is a blend of a few students who are in the academic path.

Launching on Youtube_ GPD Video One: the Why

Will be releasing my course content on youtube - stay tuned!

Video One - GPD1 The Why can be viewed here.

Embracing Modern Hanboks (Korean Dress) at Work

 Daily Han Blouse and Skirt (Insadong) at Hart House, U of Toronto

 

Teterot Hanbok Blouse with BR Skirt at Faculty of Medicine

Hanbok Blouse and Skirt Teaching in Class, Medical Sciences Building

The traditional Korean hanbok is 5000 years old, but the modern, daily hanbok is a recent invention by new designers who have joined the traditional with current, daily life. With my recent trip to Korea, I discovered these lovely creations (Teterot Salon, Daily Han and Leesle) which all could be ordered online. I have embraced these works of art to wear to at home, work and parties, to celebrate my cultural identity! Why wear just "anything" when you can wear such "something!"

Embracing Cultural Identity

My modern hanbok (Korean dress) made its professional debut at the American Association of Medical Colleges - GREAT (Graduate Research, Education, and Training) National Conference in Seattle, Washington in September, 2019 as I spoke and faciliated a workshop session on "Design Thinking Applied in Graduate Professional Development." The Conference Chair commented on how it was great I wore my hanbok during my presentation. To all professionals - embrace your heritage and feel free to wear your best attire which reflects your ethnicity. The jacket and suit have their place, but let's mix it up! 

Greener Science

Dear Everyone,
11,000 Scientists warning of a climate emergency. Ninety-eight percent of scientists believe climate change is due to human activities.
https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biz088/5610806

The act of research requires energy and plastic. Let's make greener labs and video stream our conferences. Our kids are depending on us.
https://www.mygreenlab.org/freezer-challenge.html
https://mosaicscience.com/story/science-research-plastic-single-use-sustainability-lab-waste-environment-gloves/

Ideation - The power of the team

Attending Stanford's Design Studio transformed my approaches with meetings and brainstorming at work. I have incorporated their design thinking into student meetings, faculty meetings, curriculum design, classrooms, workshops. My favorite aspect about it is that every voice gets heard, every idea gets equal representation and is voted on by the team. Good ideas can be created by anyone, from the first year student or the retired President/Dean/Chair of a University. And it is always good to include ideas which challenge the status quo, invite people who have different opinions. The voting process allows the best idea made by the team to be prototyped and tested on. Love it. I will post some examples in my next posts.

The Power of Meaning - Crafting a Life that Matters by Emily Esfahani Smith

I had the privilege of meeting Ms Smith at a conference and she signed her book for me. Highly recommend her book for anyone.

GPD Featured as a "Best Practice" by the Conference Board of Canada

http://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=7564

My comments on Dr. Leshner's Science Article on "Rethinking graduate education"

Joined the discussion on this timely topic.
http://comments.sciencemag.org/content/10.1126/science.aac9592#comments

Published in University Affairs Article on "Training the Trainers"

Enjoy!

http://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/career-advice-article/training-the-trainers/

Creating A Job

Many students have asked me about this one.

"How do I take my PhD and make myself a job? That option exists? I thought I just had to sift through and apply to as many job listings as I can."

This might work for some, but it sometimes proves to be an exhaustive, time-consuming exercise with nothing to show for at the end.

"I applied to 20 jobs and nothing! Why did I write up a PhD?!"

Why does this happen? This means you were too broad. You are casting a too wide of a net. You need to find your specialty, focus on your strengths. Market yourself. Effective marketing of your science and soft skills will land you a job, listed, hidden or created.

So, how do you create a job? Such ambition will require at least 2 years so start early! Your 2 options in creating a job are:

1. Starting you own company
2. Creating a position at an existing company or institution

If you are opting for option 1 then you need business skills. An MBA, miniMBA or some sort of business course at the School of Continuing Studies is helpful. If you are aiming for option 2, then you need to find the key players, find possible funding, know the language. Here is a useful article by Chris Gaborit which all PhD students should read, especially points 2 and 3.

Stay tuned for details of option 2.