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niversities are now more than ever part of the economic engine that moves the region/state/nation forward. We are asked to develop the future movers and shakers, our future leaders, while at the same time pursuing research and scholarship that are relevant and far reaching. Our constituency has changed from the young mind before us to the village that has raised the student and the nation that will benefit from the student’s growth.
I was touched by the Apollo space program. I was 10 years old when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. I was captivated by it all. I was interested in math and science, but the Aerospace Engineering candle had been lit, and there was no way of putting it out.
During my undergraduate days, I realized how great it felt to learn something and to have others around me learn something. Where else but a university could I be immersed in an environment where learning was the greatest value. Staying in the university world was a natural career path.
I have been influenced by my parents. My father was a watchmaker and my mother a homemaker. Together they provided a solid foundation and afforded my very privileged education when I was a child. There were teachers and professors along the way who fed my curiosity. Friends and colleagues who supported me. And I was lucky to marry my best friend 33 years ago.
My daughter has a dog named Yuki, a Japanese Spitz. We did have a miniature Australian shepherd named Callie when we lived in Mississippi and Michigan. She was a great dog.
I played intramural hockey in college. That was fun, but those days are gone. I like watching college football on TV and basketball in person. It’s great to be inside during the winter and be able to voice your opinion at full volume.
Favorite plane? Yes. It’s the WWII F4U Corsair, the Navy plane flown chiefly in the Pacific Theater. It has the gull wing which resulted from a series of compromises when the propeller was designed with only three blades versus the traditional four. The blades were long requiring a higher wing to ground clearance. This necessitated longer landing gear but that would not be acceptable as the aircraft would be a carrier-based aircraft. The gull wing was the compromise. In the end it proved to have some excellent maneuvering capability. All this being said, it’s my favorite because it looks cool.
My favorite author would be Dostoevsky, with Arthur C. Clarke or Kurt Vonnegut coming in a close second.
Though I am still learning about Wichita State, I like the sense of commitment we have to the learners that have been entrusted in our care. My sense is that we are working hard to do right by them and provide them with a solid foundation so that they can be successful here at WSU and most importantly successful when they go off to follow their dreams in their careers.
I like music that tells a story. That can be folk music and country. At the same time I enjoy a lot of alternative rock and the music I grew up with from Motown to classic rock.
If I could only have three books to read from now on, which three would I choose? Tough question. The first one would be The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky. The second is The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke. This way I get several of my favorite stories together. The third is Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Braid by Douglas Hofstadter. The first I have read and could read over and over. I have read much of Arthur C. Clarke’s works and would be satisfied with reading more. The third book, I have read only about the first 50 pages (twice). It demands a lot of thinking. If I only had three books, I assume that I would have a lot of time on my hands.
I have been fortunate to have visited many places in my life and seen some of the “must see” things in this world. I like loose days without schedules.
Education is not confined to a part of your life. In many ways, since I was five, I have been in school. Before kindergarten, I was “homeschooled.” Education is growth.
One should never stop growing.
Yes, I do like to cook. I used to cook a lot when I was a student. Less so now. My favorite food is homemade pasta with homemade tomato sauce. My grandma’s noodles were the best.
If for some reason I had to choose another profession, it would probably be programming. I didn’t go that route, because to me it was more fun than work. As play it is a lot of fun. Even when I have programmed for financial gain it was fun. I just did not feel that it would give me the same level of satisfaction that I get from my career choice.
I am an avid e-Bayer, when I have the time. I buy and sell.
And I collect computer games. Some are rare, i.e. are valued by others. Most are not, but represent a large spectrum of what has been part of the fabric of life for most of my life.
Remember that balance between family and work is not a stable position. It takes constant effort to maintain some sense of balance.
I like a lot of the sculpture on campus. It reminds me to slow down a bit and take notice of the things around us on a daily basis.
