Here we go, countdown of 2012 top experiences and 2013 anticipations. Many of the experiences and anticipations are good things; some I would probably preferred to not have happened, but there is life experience from all of it. You will see even in the negative, I found some opportunity to create a positive outcome.
|
Topic |
2012 Experience |
2013 Anticipation |
|
Tenure and promotion |
Received four terrific external review letters from colleagues I deeply admire, followed by unanimous votes from my school and college committees |
Granted tenure with unanimous votes (hopefully!) at the university level and from the provost |
|
International |
Presented at an international seminar in Amsterdam, with invitation from a French think tank |
Tentative invitation to present at a seminar in Paris, and then a week long study abroad to South Korea in the fall |
|
Awards |
Received the Research Excellence award from my college, Teaching Incentive Program award, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning award, and Innovative Excellence for Teaching and Learning award |
Hope to receive the Research Incentive award to complete my hat trick of research, teaching, and service |
|
Adoption |
Completed a course and home study to adopt from the public system, meaning a child or children whose parents have lost their parental rights due to abuse and/or neglect |
Hope to be matched with a child or children, growing my family |
|
Foreclosure |
After my wife’s 2005 purchased Maryland house was foreclosed in 2011, we negotiated settlement with 1 of 2 lenders, and I published an article in Public Integrity about the ethics of housing crisis recovery policies and programs |
Maybe will settle the second (we tried with a good faith offer in 2012), but if not, it sits for some uncertain future, and maybe I publish or craft something more than a single article on the subject |
|
Anniversary |
Enjoyed five years of marriage |
Will enjoy a sixth year of marriage |
|
Job |
Have genuinely enjoyed evolving the Center for Public and Nonprofit Management, creating an AmeriCorp VISTA program at the Center, and securing a contract to promote walking to school for elementary school kids. This year, I also entertained a job opportunity elsewhere outside of academia, but I consider myself fortunate to still be where I am |
Looking forward to another extraordinary year at UCF, at the helm of the Center, and growing the Center in bold and ambitious ways |
|
Book |
Submitted book prospectus to publisher (okay, my deadline is December 31) |
Book accepted for publication and writing completed leading to hopefully an anticipation for 2014 |
|
Surgery |
Had my first surgery as an adult, an experience that led to an emerging partnership with my surgeon across disciplines of medicine and nonprofit management |
No surgeries… hopefully |
|
Good Health |
Bought a bike, and learned my neighborhood has too many loose dogs for enjoyable riding |
Will drive to ride |
|
Other |
I’m sure to be forgetting something |
Who knows what will happen |
Thomas Andrew Bryer 