Monday, November 30, 2009

Happy Birthday Jenny!

Today one of our favorite ecological entomologists has her golden birthday. Hope it is a great one, Jenny!

(and yes, that means that we missed Irene's on the actual date on Friday)

Science education funding

Has anyone come across funding opportunities for science education in developing countries? Or have an idea of where to start looking? I'm combing through NSF right now. Thanks!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

I hope I can post for everyone but thanks to Facebook I know that today is Jennifer's birthday!

So Happy Birthday!

Hope everyone is having a great November.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Transcript Codes

I was just looking at my KU transcript (I'm hoping to do the paperwork to get a diploma since they incinerated the first one) and noticed two numbers at the top I never previously paid attention to: CEEB and ACT.
I just now learned that CEEB is not some internal code, but rather College Entrance Examination Board. I'm now wondering a) where exactly these numbers are coming from and b) if people other than me automatically know how to interpret them.
The "ACT" reads 1470 which in not an ACT score (which is probably why I never previously thought they were scores) but I think it is my combined SAT score. The CEEB is 006871. It's not my GRE scores. Anyone know?

Monday, November 16, 2009

Small Haitian World

I attended a Heifer International Workshop in Arkansas 2 weeks ago and met a guy from Haiti who was volunteering at the Heifer Ranch*. Yesterday I met a woman at my church who has gone on many trips to Haiti and visits the couple I stay with. I mentioned the Heifer Haitian to her and told her his 1st name, and she said '1st name last name?' Lo and behold it's the same guy. Small world. My new church friend is going to teach me Kreyol! I've got my plane tickets for Jan 4 - 30 and am putting together 4 page bird guides that I'd like to give to each child I meet. Reality is that there are a gazzillion kids so I will just give one page of the guide to each kid, and they can share. I'm sure I'll run out of guides.

*I highly recommend the workshops. If you have a student showing promise in international work consider sending him to one - I can hook you up with the Heifer college liason.
**I've also discovered the secret of finding books written in French - searching by French words & titles. On Abebooks I found a bunch of children's bird books written in French.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Thirty and Thirtysomething

Every year I think that Jennifer, Jenny and Irene deserve their own happy birthday posts and every year I know that I'll forget in the hubbub of Thanksgiving (which is normal for their lives, which is why they deserve individual attention all the more). In any case, before Nov. 31* Irene and Jenny will each begin the fourth decade of their lives and Jennifer will turn a different "thirtysomething". Here's wishing them great celebrations and joyful future trips around the sun.

This makes all of us but Abby past the three-oh point. In my experience, thirties beat out twenties by a long way, maybe because I've known all of you in my thirties : )

*Yes, I know there isn't a Nov. 31.

Monday, November 2, 2009

My Mother is Ozzy

From my brother. I thought it was scary enough to post, even though I don't usually post faces of adults.