Sam's Job Search

Since Thanksgiving, I've been busy job hunting. Luckily, mathematics education PhD's are in high demand... there were over 70 academic postings this year! To put that in perspective, there are only about 50-60 PhDs awarded in mathematics education each year. So this allowed me to be pretty picky in where I applied. I only aimed for 3 highly regarded programs that have strong math ed programs and high research emphases --- the University of Missouri, the University of Delaware, and the University of Georgia. (I was also lucky enough to have the option of staying at Michigan State for another year or two, if my search turned up dry.)

I was lucky enough to receive invitations to visit campus for job interviews from all three schools. I went out to Columbia, MO, in early December and followed that up by heading right out the next day to Athens, GA. (Delaware, because of their job search schedule, wouldn't have come until January.) The visit to Missouri was a wonderful experience -- I met great people there and learned a lot of positive things about the department and the university. It also had that unquantifiable feeling that it could be my professional home.

My luck continued because, just a few days after Chelsea and I determined that Missouri was definitely our first choice of schools, Missouri called to make an offer. A few days later, we had worked out the details and I accepted the job.

So as of August 2012, I'll be a Missouri Tiger!

We're excited, too, because my contract is only for 9 months, which means we'll be able to come back to Michigan to see family for extended periods of time during winter break and summer break. (And in between it's only a 9-hour drive or a 1-and-a-half hour flight from Michigan to Missouri.)

Here's a picture of some of my future colleagues:

Thanksgiving at the Ottens

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sam and I hosted our first holiday yesterday at our house in Lansing. Our guest list included Sam's parents and brothers, my dad, Sam's aunt Linda and her husband Charles, their two kids Emily and Daniel, and Sam's aunt Maggie. Needless to say, we had a full and happy house! We had a lot of help with food preparation and cleaning--which made the role of "host" very easy. Some highlights: The Otten boys (and my dad) played some basketball at Kendon Park down the road, Linda and Maggie's delicious hor d'oeuvres, everyone gathering to watch the Lions play (although they didn't play as well as we all would have hoped), Dad's deep-fried turkey, sharing our thankfulness for one another, pumpkin roll and pie, and playing Scrabble, Hearts, and Last Word.

This morning as Sam and I talked about the previous day's activities, we realized how glad we were that we had the opportunity to share this special memory in our house with family. In a few months, we will have a clear picture of where Sam will be working--which may involve a pretty big move. Until then, we are looking forward to savoring the life we've built in Lansing--close to familiar people and places. We're enjoying every minute!

I have three weeks of work ahead of me before a 2-week holiday break. I will organize the all-school Variety Show and prepare our choir for carol-singing during our school's holiday celebrations. Sam and I will also put up our Christmas tree and do some holiday shopping. I have a feeling the time will fly by! We have a trip to Rudyard, Walled Lake, and Chicago planned to visit with family during the break--looking forward to it!

More to come!!
Chelsea   

The Ottens start a blog

In St. Joseph for Chelsea' brother's wedding, 8/18/2011

I've always found it comforting to document life's happenings in journals. A journal is a memory-keeper; a preservation of life's events. This blog is like a hand-written journal...except it doesn't use up paper, it's much faster to update, and doesn't lead to writing cramps. I started this blog to keep track of life's (big and small) events, and also to share our lives with our much-loved families and friends. My hope is that Sam and I equally contribute postings so both perspectives are represented.

About Us: Sam and I met in 2003 at Grand Valley State University. I was taking a Music Theory class as a degree requirement; Sam was taking it for fun. We became friends, and eventually starting dating. We got engaged in February of 2007, and we were married on June 27th, 2009. We bought our first house in Lansing, MI--where we currently live. We are on the verge of starting a new life phase--having our first baby and the possibility of an out-of-state move.

What's new with Sam: Sam is a PhD candidate in Mathematics Education at Michigan State University. He is working on his dissertation this academic year and is planning to graduate in May 2012. He's also a research assistant with the MDISC project at Michigan State and is working with the secondary student teachers in mathematics. You can read more about his academic work here. Sam will be traveling quite a bit this winter going to job interviews and professional conferences, but he's always happy when he's home in Lansing.

What's new with Chelsea: This fall marked the start of my 2nd year teaching K-5 general music at a school in Oakland County. I also recently finished all of the requirements for a Master's degree in music education. I will receive my degree this December. The past few months have been new and exciting--I found out I was pregnant on September 8th, and our due date is May 13th. Needless to say, I've been rather "baby-brained" lately--I can't get seem to get enough books on pregnancy, parenting magazines, or websites on motherhood. I feel like I will never get all of the information I need! I will definitely provide updates on our baby news as we go along.