The chemical team

When I first started my position in July I was one of the two members of the health department at EDF and the other one was my boss. In early September we welcomed another member of the team and the whole dynamic has changed. Our work has become more team-oriented and it occurred to me that, in the case of adding another colleague, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts (a common phrase about biological organisms!) It is also immensely helpful for me because my new-ish coworker, Jennifer, is in a superb position to give me advice. She recently received her PhD in microbiology before spending a year on capital hill as a AAAS fellow. We share an interesting perspective on the role of science outside of the research world and struggle with many of the same questions, even though she is in the next phase of her career. My discussions with her are always very thought-provoking and, although I can't say I've reached any sort of conclusions yet, I'm gathering a ton of information on different ways to mesh science and policy. She recently brought me along to a dinner for Scientific Women Against Toxics (SWAT - ha!), which I knew I really must go to even though I had just returned from an exhausting trip. I met quite a few interesting people in a relaxed environment and I am eager to attend the next meet-up.

I would also like to echo other fellows' sentiments about the helpfulness of the Project 55 network. The professional development opportunities are much appreciated and my contact with other fellows and alums has introduced me to a lot of great opportunities in DC. Even though I'm in DC for two years, it already seems to be going by too quickly!

Just a random comment in case anyone is interested - apparently the National Zoo has a fantastic light display over the holidays AND it's free this year!
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ActivitiesAndEvents/Celebrations/zoolights/default.cfm