As we embark into uncharted territory due to COVID-19, the MSUFAL has made a few adjustments to our daily operations. Labs, faculty, and graduate students around the world are dealing with a lot of changes and uncertainty right now. So, we thought we would focus this week’s blog on how our lab is handling these unprecedented circumstances, as well as share what the team members are working on and their tips for being productive while working from home.
On March 23, 2020, Michigan Governor Whitmer announced “Shelter in Place” orders for the state of Michigan. This is a phrase I am certain very few were familiar with as we entered the new year but is now a firm reality. The Shelter in Place prompted the closure of Michigan State University’s campus to all non-essential workers and research. This means that our graduate students are no longer allowed into the MSUFAL, which was extremely sad to hear. As anyone in our line of work knows, our main goal is to provide closure and justice to families during the hard times of losing loved ones and we knew this would slow down our efforts tremendously. Not to mention, we also have the ability to relieve pressure from medical examiner offices by taking on cases that require more in depth and tedious skeletal analyses, which in turn frees up space in the morgue – a pressing concern during a time when morgues may be overwhelmed due to increasing mortality rates of COVID-19.
Thankfully, Dr. Hefner, director of MSUFAL, was given approval to continue working on campus and has been singlehandedly holding down the fort. I speak for all lab members when I say we greatly appreciate the work he has been doing to keep the lab operating and to help medical examiners across Michigan. The rest of the lab members are staying as productive as possible from the comforts of their homes. Here are some of the things we are working on…
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Can you match each lab member to their work space?
Dr. Joseph Hefner has not only been tending to the lab. He states, “I’ve been staying busy with a number of small projects that are good for start-stop work. To be honest, I’m focusing more on fermenting vegetables than R code or skeletal analysis. I have recently started exploring MMD (using the AnthropMMD package in R) with Dr. Gabe Wrobel and Dr. Andrea Cucina. We are exploring dental nonmetric data. I’m really digging the code and the ShinyApp developed with it. Other than that…I’m just trying to stay on this side of sanity.”
Dr. Carolyn Isaac says that without childcare most days of the week, she finds that feeling extremely behind in my work is an excellent motivator for productivity when she does have a chance to sit down and focus (without the “help” of a two-year-old). On days when she does have a babysitter, she makes sure to actually put on work clothes (though she feels her sweatpants miss her dearly) and sequester herself at her desk in her bedroom for most of the day.
Alex Goots has been studying for her comprehensive exams, which are in mid-April, and also attempting to produce the perfect pancake. Exam studying is going well, but pancake production is a little hit-or-miss (which we have all thoroughly enjoyed watching on her social media).
Goots’ Quarantip: “The main thing that has allowed me to stay productive is creating a new workspace in the house that is dedicated to studying, so I can try to trick my brain into thinking that it’s time to hunker down and work. I’m also trying to make peace with days that aren’t as productive, too, and recognizing that even baby steps are still steps in the right direction!”
Amber Plemons submitted her dissertation proposal to the Department of Anthropology and is prepping to defend her proposal in early May via Zoom. She is also trying to complete a publication for submission and helping to complete a backlog of archaeological reports for the Campus Archaeology Program.
Plemons Quarantip: “I created a tiny office space (dubbed The Annex) so I have a separate space away from distractions but also, so I am not staring at my work in my living room and bedroom when I am trying to relax. I also make to do lists the night before and structure the list around when I know I am most productive and when I have the most energy (writing in the mornings, housework, workout, “easy” work like making presentations or running data in the evenings). I am working to keep a similar schedule that I had prior to the quarantine while also appreciating the opportunity to spend more quality time with my daughter. The biggest mental saviors have been daily cold brews, cooking for therapy, walking with my kiddo, and deadlifting with cinder blocks in my newly established backyard gym.”
Rhian Dunn is prepping a research proposal to work with a newly released CT database, New Mexico Decedent Image Database (NMDID). She has also been collaborating with MSUFAL alum, Dr. Nick Passalacqua, on research looking at trends in articles published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. Additionally, she has been helping Amber work on Campus Archaeology site reports, as well as keeping up with her three courses this semester.
Dunn’s Quarantip: Two words. Iced. Coffee. And a lot of it!
Mari Isa is working diligently to finish her dissertation, which she will defend at the end of the month! (Go Mari!!)
Isa’s Quarantip: “Besides the adrenaline rush of a deadline, things that have helped me stay productive include maintaining a clean and inviting workspace in my house and developing a routine to get my brain into work mode – make the bed, stretch, brush my teeth and ‘get ready’ (even if that’s just switching from nighttime to daytime sweatpants), make coffee, start writing. I also make detailed to do lists so I can feel productive crossing things off and start with the easiest tasks when I’m not feeling very motivated.”
Elena Watson has relocated to her remote office for now and is working on her dissertation proposal, prepping sources for her annotated bibliographies, and carrying out her duties as research assistant for the Department of Anthropology. She has paused her data collection on the Mis Island Nubian Collection and is looking forward to when she can return to the lab.
Watson’s Qaurantip: “I make a lot of deals with myself and am practicing positive reinforcement. I set the timer for an hour to focus on something and tell myself I get a reward after (usually a snack or taking the dog for a walk). One hour turns into several before I check the news headlines and have to start over.”
Kelly Kamnikar traveled to Arizona right before the stay-at-home order and closure of the MSU campus to visit family. Complying with government orders, she is staying put in the 80-degree, sunny weather. Kelly is scheduled to take her comprehensive exams at the end of April, which is a bit challenging considering the circumstances.
Kamnikar’s Quarantip: In order to stay motivated and prepare, she has moved her desk near a window, added a salt lamp, essential oil diffuser, and a giant white board (similar to the one in Fee Hall). She wakes up between 6:00 and 6:30 each morning, takes the foster dog for a walk, goes for a run, eats breakfast, then sits down with a large cup of cold brew in the office. It was hard to get into a schedule but sticking to the routine allows her to be the most productive. It has been great to communicate with the rest of the MSUFAL members via Slack and Zoom and has helped for discussion, article sharing, and sending papers for edits.
Micayla Spiros returned to her family home to help manage their essential grocery store/deli, while also continuing her work as a TA for Dr. Isaac’s Human Osteology course. She has transitioned her in person osteology laboratory to online lab times, which has been an interesting new skill to learn. Micayla is also taking a multivariate statistics class, two independent readings courses, working on a grant application with Dr. Hefner, and finishing multiple manuscripts with other members in the lab.
Spiros’s Quarantip: “Stay busy but give yourself a break to do something you love. Whether it is baking, cooking a new dish, virtual meetups with friends/family, or trying a new virtual workout class, any kind of positive activity balanced with work can help keep you sane during these crazy times.”
While we strive to be productive regardless of the circumstances, all lab members have expressed how difficult it has been to maintain a schedule and transitioning into working remotely. We are lucky to have a team who is supportive and understanding to help get us through this time without feeling like we are failing if we do not meet expectations every day. The MSUFAL would like to encourage everyone to allow yourself and those around you space to fail and realize that we are not operating under normal conditions. We would like to hear how your lab is handling these new guidelines and your personal strategies on being productive, as well as difficulties in maintaining productivity. Stay home and stay safe.
| A | Alex Goots |
| B | Carolyn Isaac |
| C | Elena Watson |
| D | Joe Hefner |
| E | Kelly Kamnikar |
| F | Rhian Dunn |
| G | Mari Isa |
| H | Micayla Spiros |
| I | Amber Plemons |