I've had this website, and the blog associated, going for quite a while now. Look at the year index to your right; some of it happened on a different machine or different formatting or context, but still going. Sometimes I have a lot to say, sometimes not so much. The site looks fine; I need to update my software because the front cover image is held in by legacy code and that makes it tricky to swap out. Other than that, not so hard. A reviewer of a proposal recently suggested otherwise; perhaps he/she is new to it all. But I think having this outward-facing information about my lab is key. Sometimes it is just a soapbox, sometimes it is a resource for you, dear reader, and sometimes it is a good opportunity to make sure you know what my lab is up to.

Today is the first day of teaching this Fall, which brings me some anxiety - but it was ameliorated when I woke up by the publication and release of our latest work on the sea star Pisaster. Published in PeerJ for reasons I have noted before, I'm very happy with this paper because it involved learning new skills, was done on a shoestring budget, answered some vital questions about how these stars will respond to wasting disease and environmental stress, and may have really interesting ecological implications as well. I'm also extremely pleased on behalf of the family and friends of Katelyn Chandler, who passed away after we submitted this manuscript. It cannot bring her back, but maybe it is a glimpse into one of the many things that brought her delight. She was amazing to work with, and I dedicate this paper to her memory and the joy of working with students as part of my research.

Tags: website, science, publishing