Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Olympic Moments

If you’re like me, the London Olympic games are consuming your free time. The first weekend I watched all the non-stop TV coverage, which then progressed to watching the results in the evenings. Perhaps you are wondering why I didn’t view coverage over the internet via “live streaming”?  Well I was on vacation and accessing the internet was via “dial up” modem. Remember that? Sometimes we are forced to disconnect from the information stream (internet). And no, I wasn’t in a remote location – just visiting family who prefer to use dial-up. As they said, load a webpage and have plenty of time to refresh that cup of coffee. 

Aren’t we all amazed at the training, dedication, and artistry of these competitors? They have worked for years in the hopes of representing their countries at the Olympic games. I can only assume that is their dream. AOCS student members strive for excellence in the research arena. Many long hours in the lab, coursework and tests, writing journal papers, and then the chance for them to defend their research. Their Olympic moment - their time to excel is while presenting their research at a meeting, through a journal article, or in front of a panel. They have been training for years too.

Leslie Kleiner was a graduate student at the University of Georgia, USA. As she mentions in her video, graduate students spend a lot of time in the lab working on their research project, but they also need to find places of trusted resource materials. Leslie mentions the AOCS Lipid Library, the opportunity to interact with AOCS members (many considered leaders in their fields), and the opportunity to present her research findings within an environment of constructive advice and support of the community.

I wish Leslie all the best as she begins her career. I’m sure after viewing her upbeat message that you will too. Thank you Leslie!

Today there are many resources available; in print, on the Web (even if you have dial-up access), at trade shows, conferences and even other associations. But how do you decide what resources will be the most beneficial?

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