Thoughts on the New Decade

January 21, 2020

Dear Chemistry Colleagues,

It is the start of a new year, indeed a new decade.  I get reflective this time of year. I pause to think about what I’ve done (and not done) and about what I value.  During the first group meeting of the year, I give what I call the “State of the Group” address. I go over the obvious: papers, grants, teaching, travel, change in personnel and the like.  But this year, I went back—way, way back—and looked at the students who went through my lab over the last decade. Sixteen students earned their PhD in the Bevilacqua Lab during this time. They’ve gone on to positions in academia, industry, and government.  And, as I thought about this, I realized not only how proud I am of what we achieved together, but how fond I am of them. I realized that what is of real value in my job as a faculty member is my students. When my head gets crowded with too many thoughts and I feel I have too much to do, I escape to my group.  A few hours in the lab, or having lunch with my students, clears my head and reminds me of why I took this job.  

When I was in high school, I played on the golf team, and we had what we called our “swing thought”—the one thing to think of when you stand over the ball and get ready to hit it.  Well, my swing thought as a faculty member is to take care of my students. If they are doing well and succeeding, then I’m doing well and succeeding. If they are writing impactful papers, then I’m writing impactful papers.  If they are developing as individuals, then I am growing myself.  

Now that I am department head, the department is my other group and I want to see this group thrive too.  This includes our graduate students, postdocs, undergraduates, and our staff. I think in the end, when we step away from our jobs, we will remember the impact we’ve had on other people.  So this year, let’s make a little extra time for our research groups, for our students in the classroom, and for our staff. I found this Penn State article about kindness in the work environment quite interesting, “A little kindness goes a long way for worker performance and health.”  The examples we set, the assistance we give, and the inspiration we provide will be the greatest gifts any of us can give in the new year and the new decade.

With Best Wishes,

Phil