2019 Yearly Review

Road trip to Niagara Falls

I wrote chapter one!

disclaimer: these reviews are for my own personal accountability and aren’t really meant to be articulate blog posts. if you are curious about anything I write here, feel free to email me at nichole.lynn.bennett <at> gmail.com

biggest accomplishments/highlights from the past year

• finished the first year of science communication Ph.D.
• directed my first improv production: Shattered
• directed my first scripted production: Oedipus the Tyrant
• cast in Trash Critters
• cast in The Black Vault
• cast in Next Week on Game of Thrones
• cast in Dystopian Teen Future
• created a narrative curriculum for the teen Building Connections Class
• wrote a book chapter on science communication training programs
• quit stuff to focus on Ph.D. stuff (Long-View, SciComm South, Girls Rock Austin Board of Directors, Building Connections)
• met Marc’s dad and stepmom for the first time, visiting Rochester, NY and Niagara Falls
• graduated from Advanced Studies at Coldtowne Theater
• went to my first MegaGame in Dallas with Marc
• Marc hosted LARPs at the house, and I played in my first one
• traveled to Scotland to teach Machine Learning in Python to Biologists
• traveled to Crete to teach Machine Learning in Python to Biologists
• helped organize SciComm South conference
• started hosting monthly reading parties
• got a tattoo (Bayes’ Theorem to remind me to update my views of the world)
• met Khristián and started a great collaboration and friendship
• started having regular phone calls with Lacy
• saw SO MANY good plays through BIPAC
• attended a 3-day Intimacy Directors International Intensive
• completed landscape study on science communication fellowship programs in North America
• taught science communication practicum for College of Natural Sciences graduate students
• finished The Artist’s Way and now have regular Artist Dates and do my morning pages
• developed morning meditation habit
• started doing burlesque intensives
• asked to be co-owner of Fox Den Theater Company
• weekly hangouts with Chris
• got into joyful movement again and doing yoga in the mornings
• took an unarmed and knife stage combat class from Toby Minor
• received $30,0000 from Planet Texas to put youth participatory activist play on climate change
• taught Pop Music Activism class over the summer
• played Pandemic Legacy with Marc, Peter, and Heath
• taught data science part-time with General Assembly
• taught PR Techniques class
• mom and dad visited Austin, took Marc to Salt Lick for his birthday
• attended Texas Stage Fighting Intensive
• became Vice President of BIPAC
• served on Girls Rock Austin’s board of directors
• taught ~10 STEMprov workshops and did a six-week series!
• flew to Boston to do improv for Sci-Tech summer camps
• taught storytelling to Performance Training for Instructors class
• attended Women’s Empowerment Conference and Inclusive SciComm conference and taught improv
• organized our house!
• attended BGG with Marc
• great hangouts with friends (tea time, potlucks)
• hosted Secret Satan party
• attended great weddings (Jason/Laura, Lindsey/Peter, Megan/Michael, Justin/Jeanette)
• attended Inclusive Teaching Symposium from the Faculty Innovation Center
• plotted out my Program of Work for my Ph.D. and get to take applied drama and social justice courses
• was a research + practice fellow for the Inclusive SciComm conference, presented on an inclusive pedagogy panel and taught STEMprov
• asked to teach Python in the Czech Republic!
• asked to be the keynote speaker for ComSciCon
• read 173 books

Shattered

biggest lessons learned in the past year

• saying “no” to stuff outside of my circle
• all of the work is the work, not just the part where I am staring at the computer
• take more walks in nature
• treating myself like a precious object will make me strong
• being embodied is important to my work
• I don’t need goals to tell me where to go, I just need to make sure that I’m aligned with my values.
• trusting myself, trusting my gut
• intuitive eating instead of dieting
• joyful movement instead of exercising
• meaningful work takes times and it doesn’t always feel like I am making big progress but I am

directions/goals for next year

• continue gardening and puttering around with plants
• teach students, not subjects
• read 150–200 books
• publish 5 papers
• go to therapy
• get back into riding motorcycle
• continue doing burlesque dancing
• explore queerness
• explore kink
• nourish close friendships
• get website up and running
• regular blogging and PR for science communication, applied drama, and belonging/inclusions research and practice
• direct/produce a theater show
• put together a improv director/producer working group
• become Intimacy Director apprentice
• host more gatherings at my house for small groups
• explore other forms of joyful movement (dancing, yoga, outdoor stuff)
• climate change dramaturgy play devising