Year in Review

It always seems weird to me that the academic "new year" and calendar new year are so differently aligned. But, this is as good a time as any to think about what's happened and where I am going.

My greatest achievement last year was getting a grant funded, and I sure hope that next year brings more of the same. I also published a few papers, but all from my postdoc. I hope that next year I will have at least one from my lab alone.

Teaching was a lot more work than I expected and my reviews were a lot lower than I expected, but not terrible. This year I hope to get better reviews by standardizing my grading and decreasing the length of my exams. I also hope to spend less time preparing, which now that I have taught this class once, I think will be true.

I had some great opportunities to get involved in service last year both inside and outside the university especially to women. This year I hope to continue that work, but carefully balanced against my other obligations.

Personally, it would be great if I could work out a few days a week, have a little time for knitting and reading, and make some more time for my family in general.

Overall though, I can say that I am really happy. I have a great department, live in a great place, and have a supportive family.