Wednesday 6 November 2013

An Apprentice Academic

I have been very busy (as always) but I have been making brilliant progress. Since I last 'checked in' to my blog, I have presented my research at the 'Blackness in Britain' conference hosted by Newman University in Birmingham (September 2013). I really enjoyed presenting here and I felt my confidence as a speaker improving. I was also very happy that after I presented my research Dr Carolyn Cooper said she anticipates a book from me! That was a massive compliment! I was also happy when a fellow presenter commented to me after our panel that she really liked my work on beauty. Considering I have never had feedback from my work on cyberspace I was flattered to be in an intellectual space where my work was valued.

I was also fortunate enough to present at the first International Black Doctoral Network in Philadelphia in October 2013. The plenary speakers were Dr. Cornel West, Dr. William Julius Wilson and Dr. Julianne Malveaux. I was fortunate enough to talk with Dr. West also! What an honour!!! To present at the same conference as these world renowned academics was truly amazing and humbling. My presentation here was a challenge given I had a short time to present and Grime is not really well known in the USA. Dr Mark Anthony Neal headed the panel and enjoyed my presentation. Even so my presentation was well received and I made great networking contacts and I am hopeful they will lead to other opportunities. I managed to get some sightseeing in the city of 'brotherly love'. So it was both a productive and enjoyable time.

I returned to the UK with even more zeal, and although I feel as though some opportunities that were in the pipeline may have been stifled in the short-term, I am determined. Working full time alongside my studies, I am making full use of the development opportunities available to me. I am learning to use software that will aid my fieldwork and also manage the ever burgeoning bibliographic data I acquire.

In relation to my field work which I started in mid-August, I have conducted interview and I am soliciting more. My observation and online research are paying dividends. Just last night, when discussing my research I was referred to as an #AlphaFemale, the guy thought I would be offended by the term but I actually quite like it. I am feeling very hopeful and feel as though I am on track achieving my mini targets along the way.

No comments:

Post a Comment