working with good folks

Seems like all I've been blogging about lately is work, but that is because that is all I've been DOING lately! Here's a pic from this weekends Ninth Annual Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research Symposium - put together by moi. Third and last year in a row to do this monster. It's a plethora of details that need to be tended to from ordering the food, scheduling the venue a year ahead of time, getting the program and abstracts organized and printed, gathering judges (its on a Saturday - who wants to work on a Saturday??) and ...oh gosh. Even the boards that the student's posters are displayed on have to be literally put together every year. And this is around the REGULAR stuff I'm supposed to be doing every day. Anyway...here is me, my colleagues Dave Grise (biology professor - does team learning in a lecture hall of 200 students - awesome), Suzzette Chopin (many, many biomedical and research programs under her direction - just won the President's Award for Mentoring Students - one of eleven that were given across the U.S. this year), Deb Overath (genetics professor, married to Dave, has successfully beaten stage 3 breast cancer) and Dan Solis, Chairman and CEO for the National Organization of Mexican American Rights (superman without a cape - he is AMAZING - you can check out their website here). We are involved in sending undergrads through their National Park Service program.Probably the best thing about my job aside from my students who I sincerely love are the faculty and people I get to work with. Amazing. And the view of the beach from my office isn't too bad either! Back to work....