Prompted Post, Week # 3

For this weeks blog I interviewed one of my ESA professors. He specialized in agriculture and food studies as well as education. He was very insightful on all of these items.

When I asked him about writing, he says that he does a lot on a daily basis. He gets roughly about 1,500 emails a day that he needs to reply to. Although he says most of his writing is done in writing grant proposals. He writes manuscripts  for research, as well as journalistic types of pieces too. When it comes to communication he mostly communicates with his students, and team of colleagues. He uses lots of ways of communication. He is big on using social media such as Twitter and Facebook. He does a lot of communicating on the phone via text as well as conference calls, and face to face meetings. This is different than how we write in class because there is noting very formal about his writing an communication. Although he writes on a daily basis just like we do. His communication is not as formal either.

Next I asked him some questions about the ESA field along side education. He describes a day in his field as a new adventure everyday. He does a lot of teaching, but mainly does a lot with the research extension and outlook programs at MSU. This is mainly for agriculture for natural recourses education work in interface, where they intersect agriculture and food systems with people in areas all around Michigan. To help them understand good systems in formal and non formal settings. Besides that he does a lot of Email writing, and meetings. Just yesterday he had a team meeting with the USDA grant that took about 2 hours. He also meets with lots of grad students on a daily basis as well as working on annual reports. He says he often runs into challenges with the budget from the university for projects. Although it has been rewarding. He says the biggest reward is seeing students succeed and watching them interact, grow, get a job, and impact others. Therefor he is having an indirect impact of thousands of students out there. When is came to the environmental field one thing he didn't expect was how much moving around he has done living and working in multiple states. My professor said it took him a lot to get into his field. He got three degrees, starting with the bachelor of science that took 5 years, Next he got his teaching certificate that took a year, then onto his masters and PhD. Getting the job took even more time getting his 10 year, then 6 more years to get promoted and 5 after that to become a professor. Although he says it is the most rewarding job, he is paid to get to sit and think. He gets to research what he wants and teach the courses he is interested in while making an impact on others. From the environmental field he has learned that you aways have to keep learning. Learning is a life long endeavor because environmental issues as well as technology is always changing. Things don't always stay the same, he says things that were true when he was an under grad like myself are no longer true, and he has to keep learning. He became interested in this field because he was always attracted to the outdoors and being outside. He recalls fond memories of being young and enjoyed watching plants and animals grow. It amazes him how you can plant a seed and watch it grow, then wither away to nothing in the winter to non existence then be huge again next spring. His favorite part of his job is interacting with the under grad students. Although he does sped most of his time in his office, and works about 60 hours a week.

This interview effected me because it made me very interested in this type of field. I have been considering things like Environmental sciences and communications. Now I'm considering environmental teaching as an option. I think it is great that he gets to have a job where he is paid to sit and think. I want to be able to research whatever interest me as well as having an impact on others.

Sources: Anonymous, Personal Interview, 28 January, 2014