New Advisor

So I've had a new advisor every term that I've been in the MPH program. First advisor was Mr. Gerald St. Cyr, current Capstone Practicum Coordinator. He was new to the staff and faculty when I started in January and gave up his advisees the following term due to the work load and responsibilities he had as the practicum coordinator. He was nice, til he started getting in the weeds with trying to get students practicum sites. I think he was frustrated and the myriad students coming up to him and all asking him the same questions about their practicum sites and when they were going to see results or whatever started getting to him. I can understand that. I'd prob start getting pretty peeved myself after the 58th person to ask me if I'd found them a practicum site yet.

Second term, I had Dr. Kianre Eouanzoui. He was our Biostats prof first term in Jan. I'm pretty sure I've blogged about that in the past, so I'll leave that for you to review. He's not here this term, though I'm not sure why. Maybe he had some unfinished business to take care of, or maybe he got sick of the students and some of the crazy attitudes and rumors he'd get from them.. not sure. He was signed on as the permanent Biostats prof, but this term, Dr. Forde is teaching it again, and Dr. Eouanzoui is nowhere to be found. Even his office has been reassigned to others. Kind of sad. I hope if he is gone for good, he doesn't leave with all together a bad impression. That would be sad and unfortunate

This term, I have a new advisor, Mr. Brian Neff. I didn't even know I had one til I was walking by the office and realized that Dr. Eouanzoui was gone. So I asked the secretary who m new advisor was and she informed me it was Mr. Neff. I thought it would be a good idea to at least intoduce myself and such so I went to his temp office and told him who I was and he said it would be great to just sit down and talk a bit. So we went to the back break room area and had a nice little chat. He's brand new to the University, but apparently here for good. He was a hydrologist from Michigan and I found some info online that he was doing some stuff with United States Geological Survey. He told me some more about himself and how he arrived with no info whatsoever. Didn't even get a welcome package that we students received when we first got accepted, so hasn’t' really had much to go on. He was offered the opportunity to do a PhD in microbiology while he is here on staff and after reviewing the program, is going to go for it. So he's kind of a student-teacher, but not. He seems really nice and cool. I like him and think that this may be the beginning of a beautiful relationship. lol. Anywho, he's going to be taking over teaching Environmental Health. He said he didn't even realize he was going to be teaching the class til he got here about 2-3 weeks ago, so he's been going over Dr. Forde's notes and slides and taking out things he doesn't need/want. I think he'll be a good prof, though of course my opinion is based only on a 15-20 min convo with him. We talked some about my practicum and he gave me some advice on that. I'd say he's prob advised me more profitably than either of my two previous advisors have combined. I left with some things to think about and consider, which is a good thing, and felt like we'd actually accomplished something.

So for my practicum, I'm looking into something maybe related to pediatrics and emergency medicine. Mr. Neff suggested maybe looking into doing something with disaster relief/preparation... even out of States. He thought maybe that the Red Cross, or other humanitarian societies would even pay for my flight, room, and board if I volunteered my time and services with them and I think it would definitely be something along my line of interest. Sounds like a great experience both learning of both hands on and head knowledge. Which is I think what it should be about. So, yeah. I like my new advisor. He's cool. Hope I still think so at the end of the term :) Presently, I have no reason to think otherwise.