Thanks for the Memories

With the semester drawing to a close, I feel that the time is right for me to make a major announcement regarding my future career path. But first, I want to say how much I’ve enjoyed the last decade of teaching, and I sincerely hope that my interactions with my students and colleagues has in some way made the world a better place. I know that I am a better person for all that my time in academe, and I hope that in at least some small way I have returned the favor.

The time has come, though, for me to turn the pages and enter a new chapter of life. Following the end of my two summer courses at IUK, I will fly to Tucson, Arizona to attend a week-long orientation for my new position as the Associate Director of Public Policy for the Ostrich Ranchers of America (ORA). This position is ideal for me because it allows me to do many of the skills I’ve taught over the years. One of my major responsibilities will be to represent the ORA to key policy makers on the state, national, and international levels. The great thing is that I’m already scheduled to present my paper on public perceptions of exotic meat at the Western Wildlife Association’s conference in Denver in July as well as at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Livestock for the Future” symposium held in Kansas City in early August. There are also plans in the work for a trip to Perth, Australia in May of 2007. How cool is that?

In the meantime, my family and I will be leaving on Friday of next week to look for a townhouse in Tucson, AZ, and that is kind of cool because it puts me close to my grandparents in Bisbee, which is only a couple of hours to the east. If you haven’t driven across Arizona in the last few years, then you may not realize how many large ostrich farms there are in the stretch between Phoenix and Tucson. My office at the ORA will actually be on the 4th floor of the Sidd Finch Building on the main campus of the University of Arizona. I’m not sure if that is going to make me a “wildcat,” but after having been a Crusader, Viking, Yellow Jacket, Golden Eagle, Boilermaker, and Hoosier, I guess I’m open to almost anything.

For those of you wanting to stay in contact with me, I plan to maintain this blog after the move, and I’ll also keep my account on facebook.com. Maybe the next time you see ostrich offered in the meat section of your local grocery store, you will think of me and the opportunity I have to promote the ranchers of this growing industry.