It’s the end of July and already around DC the first leaves are beginning to show evidence of Fall color changes. At this time of year, those early reminders of the impending semester are always a bit disconcerting. I’ll be off to Woods Hole next week to focus on The Biological Bulletin. Shortly after I return, Mason’s administration will have its annual planning conference retreat and following a quick trip to Iowa for a meeting of The Great Apes Trust scientific advisory board, I’ll be returning to a new semester and even some teaching responsibilities.

Summer does indeed fly by in academia.

This Fall, Krasnow will welcome two new PI’s, two new doctoral cohorts (for Neuroscience and Social Complexity) and open our new building wing with its state-of-the-art labs. I’m really excited. At the same time, we’ll be going into the planning process for the next wing of the building, new searches and the next “Decade of the Mind” events (which I’ll have more to report on here soon).

I’ll end by reporting that, in spite of climatic reputations, the weather in Salzburg was considerably hotter than it’s been in Washington since I’ve returned–is it due to Climate Change?

Jim