There’s a lot happening, and I’ll do my best to cover it all.  After running into the proverbial wall on my original dissertation topic, I’m working with my advisor and others to see if I can recharacterize it in a way that will salvage the topic or if I will need to adjust to another policy topic completely.  Time is ticking away, so I will need to make a decision quickly.

I’ve returned to coursework this semester.  I’m taking PUBP 718: Transportation Policy.  It’s definitely interesting, and it’s the first transportation course I’ve ever taken.  So why, you ask, am I taking a transportation course?  The answer it two-fold: 1) I need to take something to remain continuously enrolled and I’ve taken almost everything else; and 2) transportation is an important topic where I live.

The course ties into my other news.  Up to this point, I’ve kept my academic life and this blog separate from my professional and personal lives.  I’ve done that intentionally so that students and prospective students can quickly get to the heart of what it’s like to be a PhD student.  And yet I’m unable to maintain the partition any more.  Without providing an understanding of other events, I only paint half the picture.  Events outside academia most certainly affect your voyage.  So what’s the news?

I am a declared candidate for the House of Delegates in Virginia.  I am running to unseat a 24-year incumbent and this endeavor will impact the pace at which I work on my proposal.  I put many hours of thought into the decision to throw my hat into the political ring, and in the end, have decided it’s the right thing to do.  I won’t go into all the reasons behind my decision here, though feel free to contact me if you would like to know more.  My campaign web page is http://www.shawfordelegate.com and the Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/ShawforDelegate.  You can also follow me on Twitter: @ShawforDelegate.

I will continue to maintain this page and keep you updated on my academic progress; check on me every once in a while! 🙂