As of now, I’m now well transitioned from Cornell College in Mount Vernon to the dynamic environment of Iowa City. Working as a computational epidemiology researcher at the University of Iowa has brought a deeper sense of familiarity and further exploration of my new surroundings.
This week kicked off with a significant milestone: I completed the preliminary project assigned to me. This task, which initially seemed daunting, became an enriching experience as I immersed myself in the complexities of computational epidemiology. The coding work demanded a blend of programming skills and an understanding of epidemiological models, pushing me to stretch my knowledge and capabilities. I often had to research disease spread models, parameters for different disease spread, as well as some python modules to implement in my work. Talk about #learningonthejob. Each successful debugging session and each new piece of data analyzed definitely brought a growing confidence in my role and understanding.
While on a few days I worked from home, I made sure to balance it with regular meetups with my supervisor, Professor Sriram Pemmaraju. These meetings were invaluable. They provided a space to discuss my progress, tackle any challenges I faced, and gain insights into the next steps of my internship. Our conversations delved into the specifics of my upcoming project—an endeavor that involves working with pre-existing code to test various conditions for an epidemiological research task and report my findings. The complexity and potential impact of this project are immense and inspiring, so I am eager to dive in.
Working on my projects especially when I’m working from home without real time support from my supervisor has definitely not been hitch free. There were moments when I hit mental roadblocks, feeling stuck on a particular problem or struggling to find a solution. During these times, I learned the importance of taking breaks and stepping away from the screen. A walk around my neighborhood, a quick workout, or even a short nap often helped clear my mind and brought a fresh perspective when I returned to the task. This approach proved to be effective, allowing me to recover and deliver my work efficiently.
Beyond work, I took the opportunity to explore Iowa City more thoroughly. The vibrant culture, diverse food scene, and welcoming community have made settling in a delightful experience. One of my favorite discoveries this week was a quaint coffee shop near campus, where I spent a few afternoons working and enjoying the local atmosphere. The balance between work and leisure is crucial, and finding spots like this has made my integration into Iowa City even smoother. My only regret is a failure to get a pic at the coffee shop. Next time, maybe 🙂
As I reflect on my last few weeks, I am grateful for the support and resources available at the University of Iowa. The initial challenges of transitioning to a new city and a new role have gradually given way to a sense of belonging and purpose. I am excited about the upcoming projects and the learning opportunities they will bring. Let’s go!!!