Discovering the Value of Multidisciplinary Approaches to Research: Insights from a Sabbatical

In this informal report, I outline my research efforts, collaborations, and other experiences while participating in the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)'s Advanced Graduate Research Program (AGRP), aka Sabbatical, from October 2008 through September 2009. This report is in no way intended to present the technical details of the various research projects, but rather a broad overview of the small ways my efforts may have contributed to ongoing research. I wish to convey to the reader the value of multidisciplinary approaches to scientific research and how the AGRP facilitates these opportunities.