That's "Sir" to you.

I earned a promotion last week. Sadly, there is little money involved but I get a different pip on my collar. This is because I completed my dissertation proposal, which is basically a miniature version of what my dissertation will be. I wrote a paper on what I plan to do and how, along with a sample of the data analysis I've done so far. Then I gave a talk to the PhD's that will likely be on my committee, and they gave me lots of feedback on what I should do as I write my dissertation over the next two years. In my case, this also corresponds to my reclassification as a Level 3 Graduate Student, otherwise known as a Doctoral candidate This means a $100 a year raise, which is about $6 more per month after taxes. That two whole cups of coffee! Furthermore, because we have assigned Starfleet ranks to all the positions in our research group, I have also earned a promotion from Lieutenant, junior grade to full Lieutenant.