This week War & Health is one year old. The site has had a good year: more than 100 substantial posts, hundreds of subscribers, thousands of visitors, and citations by dozens of respected publications/organizations including Wired’s Danger Room and the New York Times’ The Lede. However, I know War & Health can do better.
You see, for the last seven months your author has been under the guillotine of comprehensive exams. The pressure to prepare made time zero-sum: any time writing/researching about armed conflict and public health was hours of studying lost. Writing for this site was reduced to a guilty pleasure, indulged on Saturday nights after 12+ hours of studying for the exams. The necessary neglect of writing on armed conflict and public health has been frustrating, for the topic covered on War & Health is not just my research focus, it is my passion.
So, it was with great pleasure that on January 8th I turned in my last comprehensive exam, also described as “the last test you will ever take”. The results will not be known for a few weeks, but whatever the outcome, whether I continue at UC Davis or take advantage of a different opportunity (see post scriptum), this site will not be so neglected again.
Happy New Years reader, and look out for some great commentary, news, and analysis on War & Health in the coming months!
Your author,
Christopher Albon
P.S. A special thank you goes out to those of you who offered me many great and tempting opportunities if I leave my academic studies. The offers are both flattering and appreciated.
Christopher Albon is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in armed conflict, public health, human security, and health diplomacy.
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Welcome to continuity, Chris.
I’m glad to know the site will stay alive and I’m very pleased to know that it will have more of your attention and less of your guilt. I love the site (and the topic) and look forward to every new post.
(by the way, good balance on the White Phosphorous one.)
Thanks Adam, it feels good to get back to the subject and work I love. Over the last year I have met so many great people. I cannot imagine not writing this site. I am hoping to expand War & Health over the next year or so into a semi-comprehensive resource on armed conflict and public health: articles, book reviews, interviews, journal article summaries, etc…
And thanks for the compliment on the White Phosphorous post. I spent a while trying to make it balanced, because despite what many people like to claim, the use of WH is not clear cut at all.
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