Jon Weiss RSS

Vacation

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-06-28T12:33:52-04:00

I finished work last week. I took a flight out to San Diego on Sunday morning and arrived there at 10am. While landing I saw lots of navy ships. So when I met my friend Dave, I said 'Lets go to a battleship.' Sure enough one of them was a aircraft carrier/ museum. It was fun playing around with all the Navy equipment.

We then went sea kayaking for around 2 hours and went out to a bar with a friend of his. What was supposed to be a screwdriver actually was Vodka with a little orange juice.

The next day we went to Tijuana (the most boring place on earth). Mexicans trying to sell medications, strippers, dinner and blankets- a grand time for all. But, I have to say that out of the main tourist streets, the people were very nice and friendly. It took 3 minutes to pass into mexico and over 2hrs to leave because thy asked everyone on every tour bus to get off and be interviewed/ID scanned individually and bags were X-rayed. (YEA- real fun!)

The third day we went tot he WIld Animal Kingdom, which was all Savannah animals of African origin. And then we went tot he famed San Diego. I saw lots of animals, birds copulating and baby gorillas breast-feeding. So it was real fun.

Photos are up.

Monthly Update

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-06-13T22:14:43-04:00

I guess this blog has turned into a monthly deal.

I am winding down with teaching high school. I have just a few days of proctoring left. I have to formulate an Anatomy final and grade over 50 regents of various subjects.

iTunes is not playing. I received my housing assignment and will be moving in on the 29th of this month, only a few days after I return from San Diego.

I went to the city today with a friend of mine who is doing the New York City Teaching Fellows for this year (and a few to come). I showed him around manhattan and it was a grand time for all. The Nintendo store was real fun but they didn't have the machine that laser engraves a DS, like this. I was gonna do it! Get the one where it is filled with mario mushrooms. *sigh*

Looking forward.

Time Flies

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-05-17T22:21:38-04:00

A month has passed...

I was given a lot of paperwork to complete for Sackler. I have chosen a lab (meaning I sent out emails and had one bite). I will be starting my first rotation in Dr. Alan Frey's lab, working on CD8 T-Cell response oh cancer.

I am finishing up the school year where I teach and am preparing my students for the dreaded Biology Regents. Everything is pretty much status quo; life is good and I have some vacation time coming up on Tuesday for a week. I plan on heading to the beach and Manhattan for some fun times with friends.

Until next time....

I really liked this

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-04-17T22:45:28-04:00

www.xkcd.com

Back in Action

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-04-15T23:02:39-04:00

I went back to work last Thursday and it was a bit rough. I hadn't taught in 2 weeks. The students (obviously) hadn't learned anything in the past two weeks. But what was more unnerving was that it was the first day back after the Vice Principal had passed away during the vacation after a long battle with cancer. She was a real part of the school, being there for a quarter century. So some of the students were pretty bummed, yet the majority of them were unfazed by the ordeal (was kinda sad for me to see that- especially speaking with older students who said that she got them through high school and always had her door open, etc). I felt a little strange going to the Shivah House and talk with her husband, but it just reenforced what a good person she was.

Well, this week moves on and I have lesson plans and tests to administer, so fun for all.

Long Time No Blog

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-04-11T17:04:47-04:00

It HAS been a while since I have updated this thing. I have been on vacation for the last 2 weeks from teaching and have enjoyed. I headed up to Boston and Rhode Island for a weekend and spent the rest of the time reading and enjoying the time to myself. I have decided to add a new section to my webpage that reviews books that I have recently read. I tend to read a lot (and NO- not just wikipedia entries all day). Saturday are usually spent with the NYTimes and backlogged WSJ's and IBD's. I also love my magazine subscriptions; Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Game Informer and WIRED.

Life Continues

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-02-25T19:03:06-05:00

Contrary to popular belief, when I found out I got into grad school, the gravitational constant of the universe did remain that, constant. The earth did not stop spinning and people did no fly off into space. BUT- I am still on a adrenaline rush about the whole thing. I am expecting to visit for a day to shadow a PhD candidate for a day and see how classes are.

March is upon us and time slows for no man (or woman).

Grad School drum roll

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-02-15T10:36:04-05:00

I got in to NYU Medical School: Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences (a mouthful!). I have accepted and will start in June with laboratory rotations. This was a very happy day for me. I am taking a few friends out for lunch on Monday, in the city- before a wedding we have to go to at 6pm.

On another note, after 2 months wrangling with Apple Computer, they are sending me a new laptop (Macbook) to replace my now defunct and dead iBook.

Today I don't have school (work) because they called it a snow day. This was done because the school bus companies thought it not safe on the side roads when picking up kids. *sigh*

Teaching

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-02-13T22:45:05-05:00

I have an amazing opportunity. Something that most teachers, in an entire career never have the chance to do. I am teaching 3 courses/5 classes.

I teach Regents Chemistry- that is just cookbook, prepare for the kids for the Regents at the end of the year, make sure they know the math and theories and run labs.

My Anatomy and Physiology class is made of kids who didn't want to take the Biology AP or decided to take it for fun. I have a lot of lee-way with this course because there is no mandated end of the year denouement exam. For that class I have to prepare lesson plans and teach whatever I want (covering the text book in some coherent manner). I gave both classes a choice, either tests on the chapter when we are done with them, or an essay about a topic in that section. For instance, we are doing a chapter on muscles and I would give each student a different muscular disease (HAHAHAHAHA) and they would have to do a 5 page research paper and make a 5 minute presentation for the class on the muscular disease they chose. One class took it the other didn't. I used a little of my 'freedom of determination as a teacher 'muscle there.

I also have a small class, if it can be called that. This I start tomorrow. It is a regents Biology class, but only has 3 boys who are extremely smart and disrupt normal class by talking because they are bored with the regents level course. They ask a lot of questions that are either not appropriate or above a regents level course. The principal and science department head thought I could offer them more insight into biology, beyond the regents curriculum, and the ability to go faster (more to their liking). I will see how class goes tomorrow with the kids. It is a great opportunity to discuss things and have a informal class.

I think it is amazing that I get the chance to teach in a wide range of styles; this is the coolest thing to me.

P.S. I am trying to take the Anatomy and Physiology class to the Bodies Exhibit by years end.

...A Strange Twist of Fate

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-02-11T11:23:16-05:00

I a strange twist of fate, I am now a high school science teacher, full time, until the end of the school year. Whilst job hunting, I was contacted by a private school who I had previously conducted a Sunday midterm review for their 9th grade biology class. Their regular teacher had to take maternity leave a month early and is expected to be out until the end of the year. I am teaching Regents Chemistry to 10th grade students and Anatomy & Physiology to 11th and 12th grade students. This is an entirely new experience for me - making lesson plans, creating quizzes and tests and giving final grades. This is sure to be a interesting 4 months.

On a side note, Apple is replacing my laptop because of an inability to repair it, since the last time they repaired it they put in a faulty component that died after 3 years. Contrary to what my parents had raised me with - The complaint department is NOT closed!

Schools...Schools....Education Forever

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-02-03T23:16:48-05:00

I just got back from a 3 days in Manhattan. I has spent Thursday and Friday interviewing at NYU medical Center; Sackler. The first day was pretty simple, lecture on structure of insulin receptor (über exciting...). After that was a poster session by the current phd students on their personal research. I asked about research, but also that the students' impression of the school and program was. After that was dinner and then went to 'Wicked.' That was a really great play.

The next day we all got a tour of the facilities and had four interviews, each with a different PI (primary investigator) or 'person who runs a lab.' Those went well. My first interviewer asked me a lot of questions when he was going through a powerpoint of his research, teasing out what I could surmise about why certain results were found. The rest went pretty well also.

My interview with Stonybrook was moved to the 22nd because of Shabbat observance issues on their previous Friday interview. This past week Rockefeller sent me a rejection snail mail letter. It was funny because At the NYU interview I met 3 other people who also got that letter this past week and found that they usually accept people who have worked for them previously (THATS FAIR!).

Two weeks ago when I was in Binghamton I got a call from Syracuse Biology Head of department dude. He wanted to invite me to a weekend at Syracuse next weekend. When I wet up for my 'pre-interview' in November, I was told that they usually invite prospectives to present their research and then take them out on the town. Yet again, Sabbath prevails, and I couldn't go. He apologized and so did I. He said I had nothing to worry about, so I feel that school is safe.

There are only 6 more schools left! Which ones will survive!?!? WHO KNOWS!! (But only one is my favorite... you you know who you are.)

Six Month Hiatus

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-01-16T13:40:41-05:00

Doing this Biotech Certificate program in the last half of 2006 was a really important boost to me. It bolstered my interest in biotech and allowed me to study business in addition to giving me the opportunity to take graduate level immunology. Taking that course has opened my eyes to the myriad of possibilities for further bio education and eventual employment.

Now I am left with a half-year where I am not in school (a time that has not come since I was 3 or the dinosaurs roamed the Earth- you decide). It is extremely disconcerting to be out of my element and not tuned into a schedule. A job search has ensued and lead to dead ends. I thought it would be a novel idea to apply to work in a research laboratory for the 6-8 months that I have free. Yet, as I began interviewing I came to a sobering conclusion; no one wants a lab assistant for 6 months. I found it funny that that was the only stumbling block, rather than experience, etc.

I have resigned to apply for more realistic six-month jobs (instead of curing cancer at Sloan Kettering, where I have been interviewing). I have submitted an application to substitute teach biology in the local public schools- which would be real fun if I am chosen.
But for the meanwhile I am waiting on schools and looking forward to my 2 day interview at NYU: Sackler in two weeks.

Applications

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-01-06T19:57:40-05:00

I have received word from a few grad schools that they have received my application in its entirety. This is a huge relief off of my shoulders, having worked on them for months. NYU: Sackler has contacted me already for a 2 day interview on February 1 and 2. Weill Cornell and Baylor have both acknowledged my existence, as well, and Scripps Research Institute decided that they ACTUALLY need a GRE score from me..which ETS sent but they had not received.
I have been contacted by the Flow Cytometry Core facility at Sloan Kettering. They need someone because their most experienced tech is leaving at the end of January. The doctor said that he got my CV from Human Resources (who I didn't give my CV). The CV must have migrated from my last interview.. those things have have wings (no redbull needed).
I am heading out of state for the next few days and am trying to enjoy what is left of my 'vacation.'

Beginning

hypernovacore@gmail.com — 2007-01-03T22:39:40-05:00

I am putting together this website as a representation of my professional and personal life. I felt that I needed to create this site partially as a resource for those who are seeking talent in my field and also because I felt the need to have my passions accessible to friends, family and my peers. I am currently in the process of applying to graduate schools to pursue a PhD. My intended fields include Genetics, Cell Biology and Immunology. I am currently scheduled to interview at Sloan Kettering in Manhattan for a Research Assistant position in a lab that is testing a DNA vaccine for Lymphoma. This presented a particular interest to me because I have just completed a Graduate Biotechnology Certificate program and took Graduate level Immunology as one of my electives. My hopes are that I will be able to work in this field and help to develop this DNA based vaccine. And, hey, it's better than working at gamestop!