Districting Issues
Retrieved June 28, 2023 at 11:01 p.m.
Hello, My name is Daniel and I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at University of California Irvine, and also a Graduate of the Physics Doctoral Program at UCI. Although I love researching at my institution, I have found it very difficult to afford basic necessities while pursuing my PhD degree in Physics. Redrawing the map and making the interests of rising Scholars such as myself a priority will greatly help both the community of graduate students and researchers, as well as the University as a whole. Grad Students and Postdocs are one of the greatest pillars to our Academic system, as they provide valuable intellectual contributions that cannot be replaced. We want to make sure that every Postdoc gets a long enough appointment that they can serve their institution without having to worry about Job insecurity. My own situation is complicated by the fact that my Department wants to only grant me a single year to my Postdoc. If I am unable to find a job by September and my Postdoc is not extended, I could end up being homeless. That’s a terrible reward for 6 years of tireless work at UCI. Imagine finding yourself on the brink of homelessness after trying to improve your own life situation with an advanced degree! I know this is a highly personal and charged story, so I want to apologize if you found it unsettling. I simply wanted to share my own personal experience so that it could inform you of the situations that members of our community face in regards to these important issues. Thank you for listening.
Location: UCI Graduate student housing