Dr. Shellie

Apparently, female undergraduates tend to wear sundresses, short shorts, miniskirts, and other outfits that leave their bra straps showing.

Thus, any female wearing full length pants or a skirt with pantyhose is likely to be faculty or staff.

The first week went well. I have figured out how to send mail, connect to the Internet, buy things, get a projector in my classroom, access the gym, and a thousand other small things you need to do to function. My lab is being renovated and should be ready soon. I met my grad students and am excited to start working with them.

One notable thing about our campus is how many students wear MyU tee-shirts. At any given time (and not just on game days) you might stroll across campus and see the following: a group of students in MyU t-shirts eating lunch, a facilities worker with MyU logo on his uniform and a MyU baseball cap, a food service worker with a MyU uniform, several giant banners advertising different MyU Initiatives or departments, and uncountable other students walking by in MyU shirts/sweats/polos, etc. My unscientific estimate is that about half of the people you see are wearing some kind of university apparel. There is also a remarkable uniformity in color scheme, with all official university items (banners, street signs, information booths, temporary barriers around construction sites) conforming to school colors. I just received a copy of the alumni magazine, and apparently there is polling data showing that our alumni are more apt to promote the university than average university students across the nation.

Made it to New City– we have been unpacking and organizing the house. I also dropped by campus to see my office and lab.

I had been thinking of upgrading my wardrobe so that people would not think I was a student. Now I realize it is futile. On Monday I put on my most respectable outfit and did some errands on campus. The bank teller asked me if I was ready for classes (and no, she did not mean to teach them!) and a person I asked for directions asked if I had just moved here to study (from which I conclude that I look like a young graduate student and/or freshman).

So, either a) I look very young, regardless of outfit, or b) my idea of "respectable outfit" makes me look like a 21-year old. Oh well. I guess I’ll do as the bank teller said, and be happy that I "have good skin."

On the flip side, one of the graduate students in my department who I bumped into said, "Hi, Professor!" when he saw me. So that was fun.

My grant* is written and submitted. The movers** have packed my house and office. I have picked out wall and chair colors for my future lab (fortuitously, Future U.’s school colors coincide nicely with my taste). My students from China have gotten their visas and should arrive for the start of the semester. My American student is already in New City. Tomorrow I will pack up the few things left in my office and say goodbye to everyone here. Thanks to drdrA for the tag… I hope to get to it soon. Goodbye from here, and more to follow from there.

*More on this later, perhaps.

**This is amazingly easier than packing yourself. Thanks to Future U. for the relocation package!