Post-DPDF Debrief

So it seems the latest phase of my travels is almost complete, having now wrapped up my DPDF workshop in Berkeley, CA. A quick primer for those who wonder what the hell I'm talking about: DPDF stands for Doctoral Pre-Dissertation Fellowship and it is a summer research grant funded by the Social Sciences Research Council (SSRC). The program funds six weeks of summer research, which is bracketed by workshops in the spring and fall. Each workshop consists of twelve fellows and two faculty members whose work shares a common theme, and who come together to discuss and give feedback on each others' dissertation projects. My workshop consisted of twelve doctoral students from history, sociology, anthropology, and political science, all working broadly on the topic of migration.

After three days of intensive workshopping, I'm happy to say that a) I survived and b) it was a fantastic experience. The beauty of the DPDF is that it provides graduate students with the opportunity to work with others outside their own circles, be they institutional circles, geographic circles, or disciplinary ones. I had the pleasure of reading about projects that ranged from refugee camps in Nepal to the resettlement of German Jews who were exiled in Shanghai after the Second World War. All told, the workshop was an enormous success. Not only did we all receive great feedback from each other and our workshop leaders, Nancy Green and Roger Waldinger, but they managed to pull together a group of people and projects that were diverse and yet surprisingly cohesive. Perhaps just as enlightening as the workshops themselves were some of the conversations that happened outside the conference room - over lunch, over drinks, and even in the hallways during random moments. I consider myself lucky to have met such a great group of people, and particularly the amazing women with whom I shared a space over the last few days. (One is even a soap maker - imagine my surprise and delight!)

Berkeley mural

During my stay in Berkeley, I was also able to enjoy the first of many summer reunions that I have lined up, this time with my friend Shayna (who features prominently in many of the older posts on this blog). Shayna and I met during another summer workshop that I did three years ago in Oaxaca, Mexico, and it's somehow been two years since we last saw each other, when I stayed with her during the kickoff to my 2012 cross-country roadtrip. And oh how things can change in two years! The last time I saw Shayna I was about to start a PhD program and she was five months pregnant. Needless to say, her accomplishments over these last two years put mine to shame. It was so nice to finally meet her mom and her ridiculously charming daughter, and to see how happy Shayna is with motherhood. We've vowed not to let two years go by before we see each other again and I, for one, am happy to have any excuse to return to the Bay area for another visit.

I've now vacated Berkeley to spend a couple days in San Francisco, though I did take the train back out for some research yesterday. Today will be a full day of touring (and tasting!) the city with my host and soon-to-be-former roommate, Elena. I'll be sure to fill you all in after I arrive at my next destination: Southern California.