Thank You

As I recover from Thanksgiving overindulgence, I'd like to take a few moments to thank all of the people who have helped to keep the Biology education programs running this year. Had I compiled this list last year many of the names would have been the same, but many would have been different too. It really is a group effort. So...

Thank you to the staff of the Academic Programs Office at WHOI, particularly Christine Charette, Marsha Gomes, and Julia Westwater, and to Ronni Schwartz at MIT, who keep the gears of the program well-oiled. Their quick, pleasant, and affirmative responses to my frequent requests for help make my job much easier.

Thank you to the members of JCBO---Ed DeLong, Dianne Newman, Martin Polz, Heidi Sosik and Simon Thorrold---who work hard to make sure that all the students in Biological Oceanography have the opportunity to complete their Ph.D. and flourish as independent scientists. (Students, these people really do "have your back.")

Thank you to Lauren Mullineaux and Ann Tarant, who last year as the members of the Admissions Committee read through many (many) files of worthy applicants, saw the best in them all, and helped JCBO make very tough decisions. I also thank them for agreeing to help again this year!

Thank you to Sonya Dyhrman and Gareth Lawson for their service on the Summer Student Fellowship Admissions Committee and Becky Gast for her service on the Postdoctoral Scholar Committee. There are so many good applicants for both programs, and so few fellowships.

Thank you to Mark Baumgartner, Hal Caswell, Mark Hahn, Mike Fogarty, Darlene Ketten, Tracy Mincer, Michael Moore, Lauren Mullineaux, Jesus Pineda, Peter Tyack, Simon Thorrold, Laela Sayigh, and Stefan Sievert, for teaching courses this past year.

Thank you to the 2009 Comprehensive Exam Committee, Cabell Davis, Stefan Sievert, Ann Tarant, and Janelle Thompson, and to all who contributed questions. It's not easy to write challenging yet fair exam questions, but they seem to do it.

Thanks again to Shuhei Ono, Tanja Bosak, Roger Summons, Ed Boyle, and Maria Zuber for finding desk space for our students over in EAPS.

I hope I haven't forgotten anyone; my apologies in advance if I have. I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving. Hope to see you at the Holiday Party!