Collin K. Berke, Ph.D.
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Now

Here you’ll find what I’m currently up to.

A now page, why?

Updated at 2026-08-09 from my home in Lincoln, Nebraska, where I’m fresh off of mowing my lawn and enjoying a nice Sunday summer evening.

Projects I’m working on

Staying consistent by publishing a weekly update

I’ve been keeping up with publishing my weekly newsletter. I moved to a Monday publishing cadence, which has helped immensely. I also have a better system for tracking and compiling notes for each post. It’s been super helpful. Writing is challenging for me, so the weekly deadline holds me accountable to keep working at it.

Google Dataform

I’ve been spending time learning Google Dataform, a data orchestration tool. It’s ability to build automated data pipelines with SQL has been a draw. The integration with GitHub is also an added bonus. I’m still getting the hang of how to best manage project organization. I’ve also been noodling with how scheduling works best.

Blogging

I’ve been on a pretty good streak of publishing blog posts recently, in addition to my weekly updates. I aim for one a month, but recently, for a few months, I’ve posted two. Topic certainly plays a role. I’ve been attempting to write shorter, notes type posts. You should check them out here if you’re interested.

If you’re interested in what I’ve focused on in the past, check out my past updates

Books I’m reading

The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman

I’ve seen this book suggested several times. I was looking for a new professional read, and I felt it was a good time to pick it up. I’ve only just started it, but the information and examples shared thus far have been helpful.

A list of books I’ve read (ever since I’ve started keeping track)

Professional development reads

Think Python by Allen B. Downey

R for Data Science (2e) by Hadley Wickham, Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel, and Garrett Grolemund

Practical SQL, 2nd Edition: A Beginner’s Guide to Storytelling with Data by Anthony DeBarros

Machine Learning with R - Fourth Edition by Brett Lantz

Practical Tableau by Ryan Sleeper

Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships in a Hyper-Connected World by J. Kelly Hoey

HBR Guide to Making Every Meeting Matter from the Harvard Business Review

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande

Tidy Modeling with R by Max Kuhn and Julia Silge

Python for Data Analysis by Wes McKinney

Engineering Production-Grade Shiny Apps by Colin Fay, Sébastien Rochette, Vincent Guyader, and Cervan Girard

Advanced R by Hadley Wickham. Check out past book club meeting recordings here.

R Packages by Hadley Wickham and Jenny Bryan. Check out past book club meeting recordings here.

Vim help files maintained by Carlo Teubner

Mastering Ubuntu by Jay LaCroix

Google BigQuery: The Definitive Guide by Valliappa Lakshmanan and Jordan Tigani

Mastering Shiny by Hadley Wickham. Check out the past book club meeting recordings here.

R for Data Science by Hadley Wickham and Garrett Grolemund. Check out the past book club meeting recordings here.

Docker Deep Dive by Nigel Poulton

Personal reads

With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa by E.B. Sledge

The Currents of Space (Galactic Empire 2) by Issac Asimov

The Stars, Like Dust (Galactic Empire 1) by Issac Asimov

Robots and Empire (The Robot Series 4) by Issac Asimov

The Robots of Dawn (The Robot Series 3) by Isaac Asimov

The Naked Sun (The Robot Series Book 2) by Isaac Asimov

The Caves of Steel (The Robot Series Book 1) by Isaac Asimov

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Leviathan Falls (The Expanse book 9) by James S.A. Corey

Tiamat’s Wrath (The Expanse book 8) by James S.A. Corey

Persepolis Rising (The Expanse book 7) by James S.A. Corey

Babylon’s Ashes (The Expanse book 6) by James S.A. Corey

Nemesis Games (The Expanse book 5) by James S.A. Corey

Cibola Burn (The Expanse book 4) by James S.A. Corey

Abaddon’s Gate (The Expanse book 3) by James S.A. Corey

Caliban’s War (The Expanse book 2) by James S.A. Corey

Leviathon Wakes (The Expanse book 1) by James S.A. Corey

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within: A Novel (Wayfarers 4) by Becky Chambers

Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarers 3) by Becky Chambers

A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers 2) by Becky Chambers

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers 1) by Becky Chambers

Last of the Breed by Louis L’Amour

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace

Children of Dune by Frank Herbert

Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

Dune by Frank Herbert

The Martian: A Novel by Andy Weir