Extreme experience!

I'm back from two days spent closeted with eight colleagues in a conference room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at LaGuardia Airport. The newDean search committee interviewed seven candiates for 90 minutes each, with half an hour inbetween to debrief and take a bathroom break. Breaksfast and lunch were eaten as we worked. Tom Forget was in the "Provost's Office" in a 6th floor suite, and he interviewed each person for an hour after our interview. Tom also picked up the Friday evening bar tab -- Thanks, Tom!

And the candidates? Interesting! Talkative! (Some very) Accomplished! Prepared! engaged! And surprisingly easy to pick our top two finalists!

For WCOB readers who may be bursting at the seams to learn about our potential newDean, all I can say is -- s/he is not the least bit like Steve or Ben, and some of them will shake us up, for sure! I hope you'll be on campus March 11-18, the dates reserved for on-campus interviews. I'm sorry I won't be there in person to watch and listen to your reactions, but enough sabbatical service is enough! However, for my efforts I was rewarded with an upgrade to first class for my flight back to Tampa! Back to research!