This Thanksgiving I had a creative moment thinking about my former satirical (or maybe just more satirical) self before I became dean of CLAS. This is the result.   It’s Hard to Be Funny as Dean (to the tune of “Acres of Clams” aka “Rosin Le Beau”) To hear the song (and sing along), click… continue reading

Are one or two extra science courses “too much science” for a student with an interest in social and cultural aspects of the environment to have to take? As someone who loves science, I was quite surprised when that question stirred up controversy among faculty working to develop a new major in “Environmental Studies.” The… continue reading

I was saddened to learn recently of the death of one of the most influential individuals in the history of computing.  This person’s elegant sense of design and his brilliant grasp of the potential inherent in computers to transform the world are visible everywhere one finds a computer.  The Mac Powerbook on which I write… continue reading

The US Government awarded 110 million dollars to researchers at UConn (excluding the health center) in 2010.  Those funds are the lifeblood of research in behavioral sciences, life and physical sciences, and engineering at UConn.  They are used to purchase sophisticated equipment, to mount and analyze large-scale surveys, and to support the personnel — expert staff,… continue reading

Over the weekend I had the chance to see the new thriller Contagion, which tells of a worldwide outbreak of a new, highly infectious, lethal virus.  The movie takes a cool, almost documentary approach to the story, showing the devastation caused by the virus almost in passing.  While I often leave the theater after watching… continue reading

In memory of the first responders who, doing their duty, rushed into chaos to save others on September 11, 2001. From Whitman’s Song of Myself. …I understand the large hearts of heroes, The courage of present times and all times, How the skipper saw the crowded and rudderless wreck of the steamship, and Death chasing it… continue reading

Governor Rick Perry of Texas has challenged public higher education in Texas to provide a BA degree for $10,000.  A very distinguished group of higher education experts, including UConn’s Gaye Tuchman, react to this proposal in this morning’s New York Times, arguing whether this is a good idea on educational principles and considering whether it might… continue reading

Thoughts on the end of the US manned space program  The New York Times reported today that the International Space Station, the last vestige of the United States manned space program, will have to be abandoned in mid-November unless the technical problems that caused a Russian Soyuz resupply craft to crash are solved. It is… continue reading

A couple of weeks ago, President Herbst announced the publication of a revised code of conduct for the university, calling our attention to newly adopted civility standards. Under the civility heading, the code states that “all members of the University community have a responsibility to treat each other with consideration and respect.”  More significant from… continue reading

Here are some links back to my earlier blog entries: Paging Dr. Watson On Not Buying an iPad A Step Closer to Science Fiction? Academic Freedom Meets Freedom of Information A Civil Conversation on Contentious Issues Academically Anchored Meditations on A(nother) Snow Day Coming to Grips with Climate Change Ideas – The Psychological Currency of… continue reading