Episode CXCI: Norrises Heading to California

Exciting news for the Norris Family: we are planning to move from Dallas, TX to Riverside, CA.

The main reason for us to be moving now is that Meg is nearing the end of her non-permanent job position (postdoc) and is looking for a permanent (professor) position. It can be quite difficult for both members of a couple to find professor positions, given the small number of positions available and the strong competition. But we were both offered professorships at the University of California, Riverside! With an added perk of being near family again. 

The whole family getting excited.

Not only were we offered positions at the same university in the same department, but we were offered labs that are right next to each other 😍.

Approximate locations of Adam and Meg's adjoining labs

The family is planning to move around Christmas, 2023. Adam will begin his new position in January 2024, and Meg will begin hers in August 2024, after finishing up her postdoctoral work.

Episode CXC: Cabin Number 10

Visiting Big Bend National Park has been on my Texas Bucket List for the last 6 years, and we finally made it happen!

It took so long for us to visit because traveling to Big Bend is a chore. It required a 1 hour flight followed by 5 hour drive.

Little baby in a hurry to catch her flight!

We stayed at Cabin Number 10, just outside of the park entrance.

Cabin Number 10

Kiddos digging in our front yard

Elliot climbing hills in our back yard

Kiddos shared a bedroom, no problem!

In the park we did a lot of hiking (turns out Elliot loves hiking) in the mountains, in the desert, and beside the Rio Grande. 

Mountains

Desert

Rio Grande

Nature guide Lydia pointing out a giant tarantula

The Rio Grande constitutes the Texas-Mexico border here, and I took on the great daring adventure of swimming across the border (without a passport!) to the other side and back.

Despite the 100-degree afternoons, we all had a great time, stayed hydrated, and Elliot wants to know how long until we make it to Cabin Number 100.

Episode CLXXXIX: Work Success

It's been around four years since I last posted a work update. Things have been going well in the meantime. 

On the teaching side of things, each year I've taught two genetics courses, of about 75 students each. I managed to teach virtual for one year and then hybrid for one year without any major problems.

On the research side of things, the lab has been growing and expanding. Here is a recent photo from a lab outing, where we went bowling and also posed as a worm (our model organism, C. elegans). The newest additions to the lab include a new PhD student (holding the yellow ball), a new postdoc (middle of the worm, holding a green ball) and another new PhD student (holding the pink ball, next to me).

At the same time, we've also lost some lab members, but for good reasons. The lab graduated our first two PhD Students! Morgan, left, is now a postdoc at The Ohio State University. Xiaoyu, right, is now working at a genome engineering biotech company in Boston.

We've recently been hitting our stride with regard to research output (i.e. published manuscripts). Over the last few years we've published four papers, and have multiple manuscripts currently being peer reviewed for publication.

In recognition of all of these nice things that have happened - I was just awarded tenure! Meaning that I will "graduate" from an Assistant Professor, to an Associate Professor (with tenure).

Departmental Celebration. This is what a professor who just got tenure looks like.

Meg has also had a good handful of years. She received a prestigious fellowship from the American Cancer Society a few years ago, and she recently published a manuscript. Her paper was important and beautiful enough to be featured on the cover of the journal!

Those are pictures of Meg's cells! (That is, the cells she studies.)

Episode CLXXXVIII: Cabin #9

The Norris Family had a long weekend thanks to MLK Jr. Day. We celebrated by traveling to Caddo Lake, TX and staying at Cabin #9.

Our cabin was situated right on the lake. Here we are exploring our very own boat dock.

Caddo Lake is unusual in that it is a large body of water (40 square miles) but the entire thing is filled with Bald Cypress trees growing right out of the water. We took a tour of the lake on a pontoon boat, and floated through miles and miles of trees.

When we weren't on the lake we also took time to hike and to enjoy our patio. 

We also enjoyed our trips to and from Caddo Lake. We stopped in Sulphur Springs, TX where one can relieve oneself in a transparent restroom. It's made of one-way mirrors, so you can see out, but others can't see in.

Where's Lydia? Where's Mommy?

Finally, on the way home, we stopped at a life-sized statue of Bumblebee (the Transformer). Elliot was duly impressed.