Near Future

Many people have been wondering how the dissertation has been going along with the job search. They've also been asking where we're going to move to and when. So here's a quick update on what's been going on in the life of Ian.

The dissertation is coming along pretty well, with one chapter written last month and hopefully one soon by the end of this month or beginning of the next. After that, it's basically one more big chapter, an intro chapter, and the first full draft is complete!

The job search hasn't been going so hot, however. With the economy so bad, the number of job postings has been significantly smaller than usual and the competition is a bit intense - many schools get 200-300 applicants for a single position. Out of over 50 applications sent there have been no interviews, several rejections, and multiple cancellations due to the economy. Out of that pool, there are probably only 9 or 10 that still might call or email. New job postings, however, will come out in February but these will be mostly all for one- or two-year positions rather than real tenure-track jobs (though we'll take what we can get!).

So with all of that, we might try to get out of our lease here in Davis by the end of this quarter and move to the Bay Area. We hope to find some rent cheap (or rent free) living option with Gilda's parents as we wait to hear about post-doctoral and visiting positions and also save as much money as we can. Ian will drive up to Davis as necessary and Gilda will continue to work from home as much as possible. If no jobs are to be had this year because of the slowed economy, graduation might be delayed until the next school year. If so, Ian will just stop working on his dissertation for a short bit and work on getting some stuff accepted for publication in order to beef up his CV (a resume for academia) for another round of applications in the Fall. As of now, though, things are still kind of up in the air.

Please keep our uncertain job situation in your prayers along with all the moving/transitioning for our whole family - especially the girls.