Work life balance

In 2004, I adopted a cat who was about one year old and weaning her second litter of kittens. Moo, named for the sound she made, was first rescued by friends Chad and Tiffany from a kill shelter. When I met Moo, she dropped her kittens in my lap and took a nap while I looked after them. Then, she came and gave me a headbutt. It was love at first bonk.

For some reason, there is a growing segment of the campus population that is interested in my cats. Far be it for me to deny the public what it wants. Here’s a quick guide for those new to the craze. Cats: Moo, Sophie, and Tipper Ages: 13, 8, 1.5 Sexes: Female (spayed) × 3 Rescued: 2004 (Colorado), 2008 (Nebraska), 2015 (New York) Follow the #cats tag for more information. Coming up: Moo’s biography.

The two other REU mentors, Erin McNicholas and Colin Starr, are incredible people. Erin is one of the PIs for the grant that’s funding the REU for the next three years. Colin has had this role in the past, too. Aside from the obvious responsibilities that come with that job, there are hidden mountains of paperwork and bureaucracy to summit. Erin is a portrait of productivity. She’s doing the extra work on top of mentoring her algebraic voting theory group, learning new math alongside them, organizing the occasional picnic or outing, and keeping up with her research agenda!