Month in review: February and March 2017
This post starts with a disclaimer: The month in review posts – being this the first one – is inspired by Ana Canhoto’s monthly round-ups. I’ve been following her blog and her monthly reflections for a while now, and it always gives me a feeling that she is in control of her work and time. I feel like I could benefit from it, and perhaps help someone out there as Ana’s reflections have helped me. Thanks Ana!
As I have previously written, I have recently relocated from Christchurch (New Zealand) to Cairns (Australia). I started at James Cook University as a lecturer in Urban Design on the 30th of January, and after a long period of settling in – with a visit to Brazil in the middle of it all – I have finally managed to focus on this space again. Writing in this blog has helped me during my PhD, and still helps me putting my thoughts in order. This is perhaps the reason why this first 2017 post is a summary of what has happened in the past couple of months. There is still one week to go before March is behind us, but I do think it is time to follow Ana’s example and therefore this one is coming a little earlier. I will write a monthly post on this category at the end of each month in 2017. So here is what has been happening:
Research
As a new staff member at JCU I have put together a proposal for a startup grant. The proposed project follows up on my PhD on urban comfort and will investigate economic implications of this concept (more to come!). I have also had so many new ideas for projects with my new colleagues that I can’t express how happy I am of having the opportunity to work with them. We have been working on a proposal to the On Sustainability conference, which will happen here at JCU in January 2018. We have also some other ideas for grants and labs, but this is still in its early days so maybe I will leave it here for now, and hopefully be able to write about it next month.
Writing
Besides the startup grant, I have finally managed to make progress on revising a journal article accepted under the condition of revision. There is still some time before the final deadline, so all is working nicely with this one. A second paper also accepted under the condition of revision is now on my desk and will hopefully get done before March is gone. Both these papers are still related to research done in Christchurch, so it feels like a big wrap up moment.
I am still in search of my best space to write in the new home and the best writing strategy for this new position. Working on it.
Teaching
From next year I will be the subject coordinator for Design Communication (EV2120) and Introduction to Urban Ecosystems (EV2130) which are part of the Bachelor of Environmental Practice at JCU. This year I am guest lecturing into some subjects and have so far delivered a lecture on Landscape Urbanism for Urban Geography and Design (EV2301), a lecture on Site Design to Environmental and Regional Planning (EV3001), and another one on Urban Design to Introduction to Planning (EV1009). I have also helped in some tutorials particularly related to urban microclimate.
I am also in the process of being registered as a post-graduate advisor, and a very interesting Masters project awaits to be confirmed.
Learning
February has been the inductions month: workshops for new subject coordinators, HR and corporate financial systems, health and safety, field trips, library, etc. So many of them! It felt very time consuming and an overload of information, but it is a great feeling to know where to go and what to look for when the situations and issues arise.
Sharon Harwood has been very kind and invited me to join her and her Environmental and Regional Planning (EV3001) students to a field trip to Orpheus Island. The island in an incredible place where JCU has a research station. In this field trip I learned a lot about Queensland planning schemes and about JCU as well. Thanks Sharon!
This is it for February and March. What have you been up to this last month?
SILVIA TAVARES 
I am so happy that my little posts have inspired you. I hope that you find this practice helpful.
For me, it is like a great big pat in the back, to see that I am progressing and managing to get things done, even though it may not feel like that on a day to day basis. But it is also a great motivator – if I want to have something to enter in my ‘writing’ section, for instance, I had better push with those frustrating paper revisions I have been avoiding all week 😉