Vacation in Cancun Mexico!

Sun, fun, great food, nice people - I love the Mexican culture and the native Mexicans. Some pics of the trip ----

I KNEW the trip was a good decision when I looked out the window after touchdown and saw a pelican painted on the tail of the plane next to ours. Pelicans are sorta my alter ego - you can read more about that here.

Here are several views of the resort where I stayed - I could not get enough of looking at the beautiful, clear, navy blue Carribean:





The resort was "all inclusive",meaning that all food and drinks were included in your stay. The food was FABULOUS. Especially the fruits and vegetables!! Going to dinner:


Fresh Sea Bass and salad with goat cheese:
Using my primitive Spanish I managed to take a bus and go into town for shopping and had a blast. The malls are outdoor and include many Western stores as well as native shops. A surprising factoid: all the stores open at different times!



Another day I went scuba diving off the coast of Isla Mujares - Island of Women. Its off the coast of Cancun - you have to take a ferry there. I LOVED this island. It's still Mexican in culture, is quiet and the biodiversity has been preserved. The reefs were not in great shape - two hurricanes in 2004 did a LOT of damage. Still, it was great to dive, to see the marine life and be in the tropical, clear waters of the Carribean:


I saw a lot of interesting critters including sea turtles - the Hawksbill is my favorite - rays, many colorful fish, dolphin that followed the ferry, taking a look at us. Also saw puffer fish, some cool invertebrates, the proverbial sea cucumbers, corals and sponges. It was great. I can't wait to go diving again!

Mexico has, sadly, become very Westernized - I was disappointed to see natives hawking cotton candy and trinkets up and down the beautiful beaches. But then I am reminded that they are so poor and the only way they can really make any money is off the tourists.

I had a great time - and can't wait to go to another destination next summer!

Heading to the Yucatan

Class syllabi for Fall semester are ready, NASA grant submitted, laboratory supplies ordered; mask, fins, snorkel and suntan lotion packed; shorts, bathing suits, flip-flops and passport packed too. I'm on my way - have found a good dive shop and will be getting wet at about 60-100 feet deep in blue water in about 32 hours. Staying at an all inclusive resort - that means all food and drinks (including alcoholic ones!) are taken care of! To say I'm excited is an understatement. I went through my diving logs last night- over 1000 hours logged all up until 2001 which was a life altering year. None since then, not one. That's going to change, big time. This is the first of many more trips I plan to take to our disappearing coral reefs. I love them and all the marine life that is associated with them - I can't wait to say hello.

We'll catch up later ----

170 voices, an orchestra and over 24 hours of recording...

...gives an Emmy award winning production company enough material to produce a two CD set. Yes, for 1 day and four nights last week, we were all in that (small) choir loft. Two talented directors and many talented people. It was hard, hard work. Many passages had to be sung over and over until the producer was satisfied. When I heard the voice over the speaker say "take 27", I knew I wasn't the only one who was tired and running out of patience. It was an awesome experience as we sang Christmas music with 106 degree temps outside, and the other CD is sacred music. I am so thankful to have been part of it - and glad to have my day job :) The CD will be coming out prior to Christmas. Stay tuned!

Sweetness at 3 years old

Audrey in my mother's backyard -- totally entranced by flowers and a fountain. Her hair, her little body...there is nothing sweeter. I love you Audrey Anne!!

Fishing Pole and Tackle Box - Coming Right Up!

This is very exciting -- I've ALWAYS wanted my own fishing pole and tackle box. However, work keeps me pretty darn busy. But now, work will involve said fishing pole and tackle box!!! The Sea Grant that was funded involves taking high school students out fishing and capturing oyster predators (spotted drum, redfish and others)and placing them in the cages with the oysters. Since the kids will need to learn how to fish, I've been told to start practicing!!! The grant's funds will provide yours truly with a brand new top of the line fishing pole and fully appointed tackle box!!! I can't wait! Dr. Mac is going fishing!!!!!

Who knew??

There was a newly hired professor who taught biology and did research on oyster reefs. One day he walked into the office of the newly hired science educator. He had an idea - she thought it was a good one. It involved having his graduate students, undergraduate students and 'at risk' high school students help with the research on the oyster beds, present their findings at professional meetings, and along the way, find out,"how did this experience change their thinking about science." You see, he knew all about oysters but nothing about how to measure learning, changed conceptions, etc. She knew lots about learning and conceptions in science, but the only oysters she ever saw were fried and covered with tartar sauce. So together they wrote a proposal. They submitted it - along with over 100 proposals that came from the A&M system, and no telling how many from other universities. This was pretty darn competitive....NOAA is the funder. They don't mess around. "No way", said the science educator. But the biologist remained optimistic.


You see that yellow dot located on the bend in Texas? That's the Coastal Bend. That's where Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi is located. Our Sea Grant proposal was selected! Yes, we got it!! Two new professors with a crazy idea got the funding from NOAA. Now, the work begins. I think I'm gonna have oysters for dinner tonight - covered with tartar sauce.

SUPER SUPER SUPER EXCITED!!!!

IRB for Dummies

No joke, this is a process that NO ONE likes to fool with. However, I was lucky in that I had the hardest time EVER ON RECORD getting an IRB done as a doctoral student at UT Austin. Let me explain...in order to do research, you have to get permission to collect data and publish that data. Well, when you are doing research on students (gasp - MINORS!), you have to get a TON of permission and go through hundreds of hoops with school districts, the university you are working with, parents, guardians...consent forms in English and Spanish, research protocols carefully written and include every detail... it's a huge deal. It took me seven months, yes SEVEN months to get this done through Austin Independent School district. In the meantime, I waited and waited and could not do a thing as far as research was concerned until it was - FINALLY - approved. It was hellacious.

So, when a colleague (biologist) walked in yesterday and asked if I knew anything about IRB's, I was torn...do I say "yes" and take on this monster? Or reply., "never heard of it" and let him find another dummy? I said "yes"... very, very hesitantly. This reply, it turns out, got me on a grant proposal of over a million bucks if I wrote the IRB and ran it through the hoops:



Today, I started. It turns out since I had the world's worst school district to deal with in Austin (as they have the United States' largest research university in their backyard!), this one was, by comparison, a piece of cake. Yes, much simpler and much shorter. Oh happy day! I think it will be done tomorrow and we can collect some data next month!!!!!! Yes sir, it does pay to do your homework and learn. I am very thankful!

Finality in a Resting Place

I went to Dickinson to see family this past weekend - of course, it was a blast. There is nothing like your family to remind of what is really, really important. Here is a link that I've added to my Dad's blog. Dad would be so proud of his family. I know that I certainly am.