Time flies... 2021 has been unexpectedly busy. In some ways, I miss the COVID time. It seemed the time machine suddenly slowed down. Without many commitments and meetings, I enjoyed much-needed quiet time to read and think... With 2020 in the rearview mirror, we are back to a fast-paced "modern" society again. The calendar was filled quickly (yet again!). While we are focusing on chasing preset goals, we should not forget the beautiful things quietly brooding around us. Looking through the window from our lab, the refreshing "pink" signals that the exciting Spring is coming (finally to the Midwest!). People sometimes ask me, "How do you enjoy the weather in the Midwest? Too much snow, isn't it?" Yup, actually, we love the weather here. To be precise, we love the excitement of the seasonal changes that Mother Nature brings to us four times a year. That really makes life interesting. We are "kids" who are constantly longing for lasting beauty throughout the seasons.
The season also brought exciting news! Congratulations to Emma for receiving the CBBI fellowship as a first-year graduate student! Congratulations to Ian, who won the highest honor from the Notre Dame Graduate School—the 2021 Eli J. and Helen Shaheen Graduate School Award! Looking forward to an exciting year to come...