Will AI write your thesis?

This fall, I was honored to serve as Whitman’s convocation speaker. When I agreed to speak, I had no idea what I would talk about, but by time I sat down to write it was obvious what question to ask. It was a fun speech to write, and as I learned more, I changed my conclusion several times. It was a fun speech to deliver, and I appreciate all those who laughed in the right places. Continue reading

Join us!

Exciting news: This spring we’ll be hiring two tenure-track faculty to join CS at Whitman, area and rank open. See the ad for more information and instructions to apply.

It’s been a long time since my last post. It’s been a busy semester. This winter break, look for reflections on the fall semester and my semiannual report on pre-registration.

Photo essay: Commencement 2021

I got my second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine just in time to volunteer for Commencement on May 23. I was assigned the role of Faculty Marshall, which meant I got to help students line up in the correct order to receive their diplomas. Then while walking Gwendolyn to daycare in the morning, I saw the first stages of on-site planning for Whitman’s first (and hopefully only) socially distanced Commencement. I decided to start taking photos of the preparations.

Exactly two months later, I am finally sitting down to put them together into a photo journal. Here it is.

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The Home Stretch

At Whitman we’ve faced a sudden uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases on campus, from 0 to 4, in the wake of two large student gatherings off campus. I asked if we should make a departmental plea for judiciousness, and my colleague John stepped up to the plate. I’m grateful. What he wrote is perfect, as I knew it would be from the email he wrote at the start of the pandemic.

John has given me permission to share his email below. Hopefully this is the last such needed for a while.

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