The end of the year is a good time to give an honest look at the past year. As much as I wanted it to work, I don't believe researching at a distance has been very successful. I underestimated the challenges associated with not being present where the research is done by others, not being able to walk into another room to ask Sandy or Chryssa question after question, and not being surrounded by those who know and support the type of work I'm doing. It's like learning a language; I need to be submerssed. Add in the trouble I've been having getting access to a linux computer and I really don't have much real product to show. I have learned a ton, though.

This semester has been a bit of a test from the beginning to see how well this arrangement would work out. I'm still fully enthusiastic about continuing next semester, but I see now that this will not work for grad school. Support in my department for my current senior research has been a mix of minor curiosity and indifference, and support for continuing my education here has been a mix of very little to complete opposition. I have therefore made the 180-turn decision to apply to the University of Alabama in Huntsville as my primary choice for my PhD and apply to Florida Tech only as a back-up. I am extremely excited about this decision and I hope this works out as well as I envision it.

Here's to a better, more productive year in 2006!