I was born on an island. I love the ocean. I love the smell of all oceans. In Boston, Maine, and near any harbor, I can detect the faintest whiff of ocean. I love even more the warm waves of the Caribbean Sea, the tropical breeze, the smell of fried
Like many things in my life, I never aspired to do a TEDx talk. Don’t get me wrong, I am an avid consumer of TED talks. I have always admired those who give these talks, but it never occurred to me that I could have an idea worth sharing,
In March, and hopefully not only this month, we celebrate the victories, challenges, and contributions of women and take stock of the work still to be done. Just as studying the histories of other groups should not be relegated to trivial highlights of a few people and learning of rote
In September 2019, we came out in droves to demand action on climate change. When the racial reckoning began in 2020, we checked on our Black friends. When Asian hate started, we checked on our Asian friends. Then, the trans hate started getting more media attention, we checked on our
It was a simple question yet a profound and revelatory one: who takes care of the girls and the young women? While I felt that it was directed at me, I knew it was a question for the entire audience. The woman who spoke those words was a strong and
It was barely a month ago that marathoner Rebecca Cheptegei ran in the Paris Olympics. She had reached what a minute percentage of the world’s population will ever accomplish. Only about 0.0000017% of the world’s population, or 1 in 500,000 people, make it to the Olympics. Rebecca achieved a near-impossible feat!
May is perhaps the craziest month in academia. It generally culminates with commencement, which makes it all worth it. There is no better feeling than watching students achieve their dreams. Most will go on to achieve more degrees and success in their careers. For now, the sense of accomplishment that
Recently, I watched Waves and American Fiction. The former focuses on teens and parenting, and the latter on two brothers, one of whom is an academic, caring for an aging parent. I related to both in so many ways. Watching them was timely for me on both personal and professional
Recently, a girlfriend asked me how I do it all, how I juggle being a president again and being a mother, wife, and friend. My answer was that I try to integrate, balance, be efficient, and most importantly, be okay with failing and not getting it right sometimes. Before I