![\"airplane](\"http:\/\/blog.jedbrubaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/airplane.jpg\" "\\"airplane")
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I owe you a blog post. It has been too long. My blog appears unkempt, more or less keeping pace with my bedroom.<\/p>\n
I blame the thesis; nothing seems to exist beyond it. My mother called me today asking if I was going to send out graduation announcements.\u00a0 I had to admit I had no idea when my graduation was. “May, right?”<\/p>\n
So what are we missing?<\/p>\n
However, for the next couple of weeks, the dominant question is “Where will I be living next fall?” I am flying around the country visiting schools, and attempting to figure out (typically in 48 hours or less) where I would like to spend the next four years (roughly 34,944 hours, for you math types) of my life.<\/p>\n
Where am I going?<\/strong><\/p>\n After MSU, there is a brief “break” in the schedule. I am going to an art opening at the Swimming Pool Project Space<\/a> in Chicago featuring a promising young artist<\/a> \ud83d\ude09 (Congrats Steve). And then I am up in Boston the following week presenting at the American Comparative Literature Association conference (details on the panel I am co-chairing here<\/a>).<\/p>\n Yeah, so which school are you leaning towards?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n This is the question that everyone keeps asking me, and honestly I don’t know. “Fine, fine. So what is your top choice?” Again, no idea. Looking at these three programs I am struck at the breadth of their spread, as well as the unique ways in which they would allow me to pursue my research interests. Mostly it is a “go and see” affair, and I have to trust that sometime before April 15th (the deadline for my decision) the right choice will be clear. Stay tuned for that.![\"UC](\"http:\/\/blog.jedbrubaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/uc_irvine_logo.gif\" "\\"UC"){kind=logo}
Tomorrow I head to UC Irvine<\/a> to check out the Information and Computer Sciences<\/a> program. I have been invited to study with Yunan Chen<\/a> whose focus is in HCI, ubiquitous computing, and clinical informatics. We have already spent some time talking about some upcoming projects, including one in digital health records. I will also be spending some time with Drs. Gillian Hayes<\/a> and Paul Dourish<\/a> (we are having breakfast; I love that idea), and am excited to catch-up (in person) with like-minded friends Lilly Irani<\/a> and Janet Vertesi<\/a>, and hopefully meet a couple more.<\/p>\n![\"Michigan](\"http:\/\/blog.jedbrubaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/03\/msu.gif\" "\\"Michigan")
Later in the week I fly to Michigan State University<\/a> for the program in Media and Information Studies<\/a>. The are a number of remarkable professors here, including Joseph Walther<\/a>, Nicole Ellison<\/a>, Cliff Lampe<\/a>, and Charles Steinfield<\/a>. A lot of the research is in the areas of mediated communication, and the social side of online technologies. Of course, it will be great to see CCT-alumni Jessica Vitak<\/a> as well (w00t!)<\/span><\/p>\n![\"ACLA](\"http:\/\/blog.jedbrubaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/12\/logo.gif\" "\\"ACLA"){kind=logo}
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Finally, in early April, I will be visiting the iSchool<\/a> at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign<\/a>. At UIUC my advisor would be Lori Kendall<\/a> whose research focuses on social aspects of computing, and particularly identity online (sounds familiar, no?). I just finished making my way through her article about LiveJournal<\/a> which speaks to issues of identity management and impression management. Of course it is a large school, and I am interested to meet other professors such as Caroline Haythornthwaite<\/a>, and a whole slew of others that, if listed, would make me sound like a crazed-fanboy. <\/span><\/p>\n
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