I write these words as 70 mph winds rumble by our mountain ridge. One hope that the “sail” that is our roof remains firmly attached to the pylons that constitute our anchor. Otherwise, we’ll be flying west!

This has been an extremely uplifting year for the Institute.  We are further expanding the Institute’s physical footprint, we’ve continued hiring, we’re continuing to publish in high-impact journals and the process of scientific discovery combined with graduate education remains a constant all while the macro-economy went into free-fall. We were able to do this because our University remains on solid ground, and because the University leadership continues to believe in the vision of advanced study as a means of catalyzing the advance of the overall goal to become a major research university.

This does not mean that there wont be real challenges ahead–there most certainly will, but I feel more confident than ever, that the Institute has a great future ahead of it–one where it can play a central role in the National Decade of the Mind Project. And one where high-risk, high-payoff scientific research is rewarded on the basis of merit.

Happy New Year,

Jim