Rube Goldberg competition

Saturday morning I went to watch our Engineering students demonstrate the Rube Goldberg machines they had built under the direction of Dr. Mairead Greene (Math and Physics Department).  If you don't know what one is, think back to the Mousetrap game from when you were a kid; or, better yet, check out the OK Go video for "This Too Shall Pass." These students did a phenomenal job with their machines (pictures of two of them below) and it was a lot of fun to see them in action. 

Field Trip in Biotechnology

Yesterday, my Biotech class took a field trip to Ceva Biomune in Lenexa, KS, where we were given a talk and a tour by an outstanding Rockhurst alum who works in their R&D department.  We were able to actually see and learn about real-world applications of many of the techniques and protocols we are using in class.  Thanks to Kevin for taking time out of his busy lab schedule to show us around!

Another busy weekend

Yesterday marked the first Kansas City Wildlands workday of the fall season, so Linda Lehrbaum, Dr. Scholes, Bill Fessler and I led a group of nearly 70 volunteers in an effort to clean up the Cliff Drive scenic area of Kansas City.  I worked with a group of employees from the new REI store in Overland Park (slated to open early next month) and members of the KC Climbing Club to eradicate invasive plants (shrub honeysuckle and TONS of raccoon grapevine) in an area at the base of a roadside rocky outcrop (pictured).  We were able to expose two new climbing zones for the KCCC and rid the area of these invasive species that were choking out the native vegetation.  In conjunction with the other groups' work, it was a very

strong start. The continued efforts of volunteers like these will markedly improve this beautiful gem in the midst of downtown KC.
Today was not nearly as productive, but I did get to go with some friends to the Chiefs' first home game and watch them come away with a 17-16 victory over the Cowboys! 2-0!!!

Big Weekend for KC Sports!

This weekend was huge for sports in Kansas City! I went to the Royals game with Dr. Sturgill (pictured) Saturday night, where we saw an incredible pitching match-up (Duffy v. Verlander) and a Royals win! Then yesterday the Chiefs dominated the Jaguars in their first regular season game.  Let's hope this continues throughout the Royals' Wild Card race and the Chiefs' season

!

International Study Abroad night

Last night, the Honors students (93 of them!!! - pictured) and I welcomed a guest speaker from Austin, TX, Mr. Walt Lengel from International Studies Abroad (ISA).  He shared his expertise and several helpful resources with the

students, and then one of our outstanding honors students, Sean Kane, told the others about his study abroad experience in London this summer.  I would encourage all of our students to pursue a study abroad experience, whether through ISA or a similar agency, or through faculty-led trips like my Biology Field Trip Abroad course.  In the past few years, our field trips have taken us to places like Nicaragua, Australia, Fiji, and Peru; and we will be going abroad again in May of 2015.  It's a fantastic experience!

Link to Peru piece

Our Public Relations department did a great little piece on the Rockhurst website about our Biology Field Trip Abroad to Peru this summer.  You can find it at

http://www.rockhurst.edu/news/article/hawks-head-amazon/

For those of you who are interested, the bat I'm holding in the picture is an Artebius jamaicensis (Jamaican Fruit Bat).  She was squirming around a  lot, which is why we are

blurry but she's (mostly) in focus.  Just for fun, the picture herein is of a spider monkey almost completely obscuring my head, while the students behind me are busy with a Red Uakari monkey. We were at a sanctuary called Monkey Island on the Amazon. 

Busy weekend

This past weekend was incredibly busy but also REALLY exciting!  On Friday evening, I had the pleasure of giving a talk (pictured below) about evolution to the meetup group Provocateurs and Peacemakers.  The mission of this group is to provoke intellectual discussion about various (sometimes charged) topics while at the same time maintaining peace and civility.  We had some rich conversations that carried over to the Blue Moose afterward.  I met some really fascinating and fun people and got to catch up with the group members.  Then on Saturday Dr. Bill Sturgill (Rockhurst Psychology  Dept.) and I took a few items to PBS's Antiques Roadshow for appraisal.  It was interesting to see the behind-the-scenes of the show.  We didn't bring anything worth millions (or even thousands),

but it was still exciting.  Then on Sunday, my great friend and I and her fun family participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to raise money for breast cancer research.  A montage of the experience is pictured above.  What a weekend!  Now, to get ready for the school year to start...