Research Leave: a semester pre-tenure where you have no teaching responsibilities, limited service commitments, and can focus on research productivity.
I am officially one week into this “research leave”! After some re-configuring of the air handling in my hoods over the break, the lab was ready for me to get back at it. I have goals for the semester (really, you should see my white board in my office with all of the projects and to-dos). This week I was getting back into my groove of organic synthesis — set up three reactions (first one failed but the second two seem promising), ran a flash column, performed some NMRs, did a lot of TLCs, and removed solvent in the rotovap. I also walked back and forth around the lab a million times trying to figure out where everything is located. I broke a piece of glassware. I had to do an emergency order of a reagent that I thought I had. It hasn’t been quiet or easy but it has been enjoyable. Let’s hope it continues and that the semester moves slowly so that it is productive.
Wish me luck! I’ll check back in 🙂
~jap
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