Ecology Field Trip

Today, Ms. Godoy and I, along with our awesome Lab Manager, Rasheed (in the white shirt, below), took 30 Ecology students to Guanacaste National Park in Belmopan, Belize.  They were able to study the flora and fauna of rainforest and riparian ecosystems, starting with some Emballonurid (sac-winged) bats that were roosting in one of the picnic shelters.  On the trail they observed forest zonation, epiphytes, and various species of medicinal plants.  They then collected soil and water samples and analyzed them on site (pictured).  The only issue was that the bus repeatedly overheated on the way home due to a hole in the radiator hose, but our trusty driver just pulled over and added water (below) as needed. It was a fun and productive day, and I hope the students thought so too!

Xunantunich

As of this weekend, I have now visited the Holy Trinity of Belize Mayan ruins, as depicted on the back of the $2 bill (pictured below).  The holiday weekend, which celebrated Belize's Independence Day, also marked my first real trip to Guatemala and another enjoyable time in San Ignacio.

Goff's Caye

Today was St. George's Caye (pronounced "key" - one of the barrier islands off the coast of Belize), which is a federal holiday in Belize.  Since we had the day off, we (a few faculty and about 70 St. John's College students) took a trip to Goff's Caye, a tiny, private island.  My view, when I wasn't in the water looking at reef fish, is above.

A few fun pic's from last weekend

Usually the only pictures in which I am featured are those where I am using some part of my body for scale (see "Enormous Fungus," "Giant Cane Toad," and "Yummy Vegan Meal" below), but I agreed to be in the last pic with an old friend (Richard, far right) and two new friends I met in Belize (Nuria and Ahmed).  This picture was taken at a place called Pier One, out on a pier in the Caribbean, in the dark because the electricity had gone out.  All we could hear was each other and the waves crashing next to us.  Great night.

Altun Ha

This weekend we also had the opportunity to run up to Altun Ha, a Mayan site just north of Belize City. Yet another spectacular experience! It was overwhelming to stand atop the temples and imagine thousands of people bustling around in the plaza below.

Weekend in the jungle

This past weekend, a friend visiting from the States and I went to a lodge outside of San Ignacio, Cayo,  Belize and saw some spectacular sights!  This is just a small sample of what we saw, including the view of the lodge and the Maca River from a mountain summit we hiked, a tarantula we saw along the way, and a collared Aracari we spotted on our bird watching hike.  So beautiful!

First week

We successfully made it through the first week of the academic year at SJCJC!  My colleagues and students are amazing and so much fun.  This promises to be a great semester!  The pictures below are of the students in the chapel during the general assembly on the first day of school (Monday, August 11th) and then dispersing to their respective departmental meetings across campus. 

It's official!

As of today, I am officially a member of the St. John's College Junior College faculty!  I now have an ID (below), a desk (the view from behind it is pictured), an office key, and a class under my belt.  Now I'm off to my second one...

Ahhh, Belize.

Today marks one full week since I arrived in Belize to begin my sabbatical working at St. John's College.  On my past trips to Belize, our group would have gone back to KC after a week; but this time, I'm just beginning this adventure.  I have already learned a lot about the people (everyone has been so kind and accommodating!) and the city, primarily via my new bike (below).  Most days have consisted of walks and bike rides, trips to the gym, and working to prepare my fall classes.  Last night and this afternoon I was treated to excursions to local restaurants by my new friends and colleagues, and I look forward to more of these outings.
I will be teaching a course that is brand new to SJC, Genetics, so I am basically starting from scratch.  But

I can't wait to start the semester on the 11th!  Until then, more learning about the country and more prep for work...

Almost famous...

Well, I made it big. I'm on the Qiagen website!  Sure, they're a molecular assay and diagnostics company that only scientists have heard of, but the website mentions me and my research team at Rockhurst!  Here's the pic that was emailed out (I only learned of it through at colleague in Wisconsin) and a link to the rest of the story: http://www.qiagen.com/qdm/amp/rattlesnakes/euna/?WT.dcsvid=lubinski%40bu.edu

Family time

I have been fortunate enough to have spent the last two weeks with my family, and doing so involved meeting them in both Wichita and Milwaukee.  It was totally worth all the driving to see my parents and my brother and his family (all from Texas), as well as lots of extended family in both cities (e.g. all of us in Milwaukee, below).  My nieces are so beautiful and smart, and they're getting so big!  Everyone just got back to their respective homes in Texas today, and I miss them already.

The last few weeks...

...have been lots of fun!  I volunteered as a recycling monitor at a Bridging the Gap recycling station at Boulevardia (a local beer festival) in an effort to help make it a green event.  I also went to an interesting talk (with some of my favorite people, below) about the Cambrian Explosion.  And in the last week, Dr. Sturgill and I have been to two Royals games!  Unfortunately, they were both losses; but they made for exciting times at the K.

Biology Field Trip

During the last two weeks of May, Dr. Chad Scholes and I took five awesome students to Appalachia for our Biology Field Trip class.  We packed the seven of us and all of our camping gear in the Rockhurst Student Development mini-van and headed east.  We saw so much amazing biology, and even went to a Willie Nelson concert and hiked 8.5 miles of the Appalachian Trail!  What a trip.

Royals!

Yesterday, Dr. Sturgill (Psychology Dept., pictured below) and I went to Kauffman Stadium to watch the Royals take on the Detroit Tigers.  It was a perfect day for baseball and we had amazing seats, which slightly softened the blow of a disappointing loss.  The Tigers just made it look so easy!  But W or L, it's always a great time at the K.

Easter weekend

Since we have a four-day weekend for Easter break, I went down to the Texas Gulf coast to spend it with my family.  The weather was beautiful for cruising the beach in our golf carts, building sand castles with my adorable nieces and roasting marshmallows for them in the evening; but the water was a little chilly for my taste (though not for my brother and his border collie). We had an amazing and relaxing time and I already can't wait to do it again next year!

Honors Induction

On March 31st, we formally inducted the freshmen honors class into the program.  Our student speaker at the ceremony, Ms. Sarah Czirr, was outstanding, as was our faculty speaker, Dr. William Sturgill.  We had a great turnout, including first year students and their families, a few faculty members, and two of our Honors Student Association Executive Board members.  It was a successful morning celebrating the accomplishments of our freshmen honors students.

Americorps

Four members of the Americorps FEMA Corps group (mentioned in the KCWL post below) came to speak to our honors students last Monday evening.  They were really informative and some of our students are genuinely interested in pursuing this service option after graduation.

Spring Break

Our spring break was this week, and it was really busy and exciting!  I went to Belize to work on some logistical aspects of my fall sabbatical (I'll be teaching at St. John's College, pictured below).  It was amazing and I met so many wonderful and kind people!  I also had an overnight layover in Houston on the way home, so I got to see my parents!  Yesterday, I helped the Psych Department as they hosted the Great Plains Student Psychology Convention on the Rockhurst campus (also pictured).  Today, I'm catching up on work and resting!