First and Foremost

Last Friday, August 1st 2008, I began a new chapter in life and began my graduate studies at the University of Minnesota. I am pursuing my Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering with a focus in Drinking Water / Wastewater Treatment and Air Quality. How I ended up at the University of Minnesota is related to the second half of my focus (Air Quality).

Without any true intention of attending UMN, this past spring Professor Julian Marshall approached me with a research opportunity to study Environmental and Public Health in the developing world. After considering my options (or more honestly... my option), I jumped at the chance and am currently enrolled at UMN as a half-time student and half-time research assistant.

This blog will be a location to keep anyone who is interested, up to date with my work, my research, and life in general. I've lately been trying to think a lot about the way in which I see the world... the lenses through I percieve things. Not just my bias but also how I think and process, and how I interact. This is no doubt the result of the training we seek out, or don't seek out, but also the result of the people, the culture and ideas in which we choose to surround ourselves with. Though a bit more abstract, this second source still has the hint of our responsibility while often being infiltrated with moments of dumb luck or possibly fate. It is for these moments that I am thankful. If you are reading this, you've most likely had some effect on me, how I think, how I interact... many of you profound, others not as much. Your love, support, prayer, encouragement, criticism and training have shaped and is shaping how I see the world, and for that I am thankful. Particularly because, like a kid avoiding cough syrup, much my efforts seem to have been in avoiding the things I needed. For this reason, Providence has become one of my favorite words....

With that said... I leave tomorrow for Bangalore, India to begin field work for my research. Myself and Professor Marshall will be measuring particulate matter in air at multiple locations measuring environmental health, its relation to public health and its dependency on multiple variables such as transportation, industry and socio-economic classification. There is still a lot of uncertainly with how the research will proceed, but that's why we are headed over there. I'll let you know as I find out...