It's probably about time I let the cat out of the bag.

I normally try to refrain from posting anything too personal here, especially if it is not a positive or exciting story related to my work in at least some remote way. But it feels like I should make an exception here, to explain my absence over the past week or so and for the foreseeable future, as well. While I have been quietly dealing with a serious illness in my immediate family for quite some time, it now appears to be the beginning of the end - and not the end that we were hoping for. While we had learned last November that this was eventually going to be the case, things had been going quite well until last week when it became suddenly apparent that things would indeed be drawing to a close. Although there has been a sharp decline, there is no way to know how long this final descent will take... Each day is unpredictable, so we have to just take things as they come and try to all stay comfortable.

Meanwhile, this isn't to say I haven't been able to get any work done. Although a majority of my time has been spent with my family during this difficult time, I have made some brief stops in to the office and have been able to keep on top of many things remotely. I have continued to be hard at work with e-mail, alumni activities, seminars, the CIS Facebook page, job postings, connecting other departments with CIS labs for potential collaborations, website maintenance, intern questions, and other things.

I've mentioned several times before on my blog how I often "take my work with me" and drum up interest in Imaging Science in places where it's least expected. Well, this past week has been no exception: one of the visiting nurses who stopped in asked what I do as a job, and what do you know - she has a son thinking of going to RIT for something engineering-related, but he isn't sure what exactly he wants to do. I gave her my card, and after he checked out our website, he became interested in learning more. So I sent out one of our folders full of goodies, and what do you know - she and her son are scheduled to come in for a visit and to sit in on the freshmen class. It can be crazy sometimes how random circumstances seemingly fall into place.

That's all, for now. One of the pleasant things made apparent by all of this is what amazing friends, family, and co-workers surround me and my family. To all of you, thanks.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

Summer intern application packages are now available! Click here for more information on our summer internship opportunities, and to download the application package.

I can't wait to see those applications pouring in. We'll have sunshine, cookouts, and high schoolers running around before we know it... Exciting!

My life as a CIS intern

If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

Invitations for the San Francisco/SPIE alumni event are out!

January Event in San Francisco

Tuesday, January 24, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Location:

Thirsty Bear Brewing Company
661 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Map & Direction

Details:

The Center for Imaging Science and the College of Science are coming to San Francisco! Please join us for an informal alumni get together at Thirsty Bear Brewing Company from 6-8pm on January 24th. Our event coincides with the SPIE Photonics West and SPIE Electronic Imaging conferences, and faculty from the Center for Imaging Science, including Jim Ferwerda and Susan Farnand, will be there to greet you and chat about what’s new at RIT. Conference attendance is not required and ALL College of Science, Imaging Science, Color Science, and Photo Science Alumni are invited. Your registration fee covers appetizers and the first round of drinks. COS doesn’t come to the west coast often, so come out and get together while we’re here!

Cost $5.00

Please RSVP by January 18.

Register here

2012! dun dun dunnnn

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone enjoyed their holidays and are off to a happy and healthy 2012. I had a wonderful time during my week off, spending most of my break with friends and family and the rest of the time relaxing and enjoying an open calendar. But, now it's back to the grind! This year is interesting though, because with New Years falling on a Sunday, students got a third week off for their winter break - meaning that, although staff are back on campus, the students don't come back until next Monday! Although it's quiet, and kind of sleepy, I'm enjoying having a bit of transition time to get over the laziness I became so accustomed to over break. (I'm also enjoying better parking and lots of space at the ice rink - oh yeah.)

You know how, in December, you see that things are coming up in the next year and think that's so far away, but then New Years passes and suddenly you realize those things are coming up much sooner than you thought? Now that I'm out of the holiday time warp, this week is all about preparing for those 2012 things that are suddenly right around the corner. I've been updating the summer interns website and getting the application package ready to post - turns out I am taking over many of the internship program duties this year, even more so than last year. I've also been working with Alumni Relations to hammer out the details of our upcoming event in San Francisco (the official announcement should be coming out tomorrow, so stay tuned). And other housekeeping here and there - updating the screen downstairs, uploading CIS news, adding seminars, the usual. And then before I know it, students will be back and things will be right back to normal - but this time with the addition of the post-holiday blues, WAH-waaaaahhhhhh.

I miss xmas cookies.

Happy Winter Solstice!

Today I updated the alumni directory, did some maintenance on this blog, finished up my annual report input, and checked a few other small items off my to-do list. And with that, I bid farewell for the rest of 2011. Whatever you may celebrate, I wish you safe and joyous holidays, and a happy new year! I leave you with this...

CLICK ME!

See you next year!

Holiday Shenanigans

Now seeing as it is break week around RIT and we are less than one week from Christmas, things are pretty low key around here. So, this post is really just for fun. :-)

Today was the annual College of Science White Elephant party! For those of you not familiar with white elephants, everyone brings a wrapped gift - usually something they already have lying around and don't really want anymore. Anyone who brought a gift takes a number and then as your number is called, you can choose either to take someone else's gift that they have already selected and unwrapped, or you can choose an unopened gift and see what's inside. The best number to have is #1, because not only do you start by unwrapping a gift but at the end you can decide either to keep it or trade with any of the ones opened after yours. Other than that, it's best to get a high number so you're one of the last ones to pick. So, when I got 27, I figured I was in pretty good shape.

When it was my turn to go, there were 4 or 5 unwrapped gifts remaining. I decided to employ a method I learned of last year: take the smallest one. That way, if it's no good, at least it doesn't take up much space. Well it turned out to be two ceramic "handcrafted in China" angels - SO not my thing. (Then again, few things at a White Elephant are anyone's thing.) We all had a good laugh at the gift's expense, though in retrospect I hope I didn't hurt anyone's feelings in case they thought that was a really nice gift they were giving away.

Well I must not have been the only one not enamored with angel tzotchkes, because sure enough no one going after me wanted to cash in on my gift. But after we got through all the numbers, there were still 2 gifts remaining - which doesn't make sense, unless someone brought multiple gifts or someone who brought a gift didn't take a gift. Someone proposed that each of the tables nominate one gift from their table as "ugliest", and whoever was in possession of the two ugliest gifts of all could take the last two gifts. Well, guess who got voted ugliest at their table!

Since I chose a bagged gift for my first one, I went for a boxed gift the second time around. Much laughter and applause ensued as I pulled out....

A COLOR CHANGING FIBER OPTIC PILGRIM TURKEY!!!!!

I'm putting this one in the win column.

PS: I apologize for the poor picture quality on that photo - being an Imaging Scientist and all, I should have known better than to try to use a cell phone camera. But the convenience...

Century Club status! +100

This is my 100th post! Wow!

So the Fall Open House season is officially over after 3 Saturdays in September, October, and November, and then Friday, December 2. However, that hardly spells relief for me! Although the events are over, I have been sending out thank you letters and other various greetings to our Open House attendees (which, by the way, we have had many more than last year). And now that the fall is behind us, many of those prospective students have now been getting back to me with requests for more information and/or tours! This is fantastic, because not only do we have a few dialogues going (while "a few" may seem insignificant to some people, this is a BIG DEAL for a program as small as Imaging Science!) but there has been a really positive response so far. 

I actually just got finished showing around a high school senior who visited RIT's October Open House. So while he already had a pretty good perspective, he wanted to learn more, and I made sure to set up a visit to our freshmen class. First I showed him around the various labs in the building, and then I dropped him off in the class. I also arranged for him to shadow with some of our students after class, and apparently he's decided to tag along with one of them to a physics class this afternoon. It is very exciting to have a prospective student so interested in experiencing what college is really like from a student's perspective, and I'm happy to have been able to be a big part of it. And from the feedback I've gotten so far, it sounds like he has really enjoyed his time with us; so I hope we can welcome him as a student next fall!