Summer Vacation?

Being Arts and Sciences Dean is a year-round job. Just today I finished annual evaluations of all my direct reports (36 of them!). Now I will get back to the college strategic plan and other more long term projects. One of the many nice things about summer in the Dean's Office is that there are fewer appointments so I get a chance to do more long range planning.

I am also getting a chance to do a little mathematics. My former student Jitka Stehnova is visiting tomorrow so I will go into, as my wife calls it, "math mode". Much as I enjoy being dean I do miss, on occasion, being a full-time mathematician. I am also finishing up a paper that I hope to get out later this summer. Was in Paris at Jussieu for a week earlier this month to concentrate on the paper and talk mathematics. Paper is off to a good start and I had some excellent conversations. I also attended a fascinating talk using string theory (Caution - I am going to get mathy on you here, to quote Dilbert) to construct automorphic forms on E_8.

Oh and vacation. My wife and I were fortunate enough to be able to go to Rome for a week right after school got out. What a fascinating city. I had never been and Susan hadn't been since college. We walked everywhere. Saw lots of art and ruins and ate fabulously.

I hope you are having a great summer! Now back to the Strategic Plan. Its going to be great!