The Retirement Advantage

This morning I picked up a paper on topological qubits. Read a section, wrote some notes, set it down. Went out on the boat and did a chart plotter software update, thought about Microsoft's error correction claims, saw a dolphin and a manatee, checked my pinfish bait trap, talked to a neighbor, jumped in the pool, came back inside and read another section. No deadline, no meeting after, no student waiting on feedback. Twenty years ago I was directing NSF Centers of Excellence, first at STCC and later at UCF, and that kind of stretched-out thinking didn't exist. Staff, faculty, grant reports, site visits, advisory boards, proposal writing, college administration, students, airplanes, NSF program officers, audits. Fifteen minutes between fires, and quantum mechanics doesn't yield to fifteen minutes.

Growing older costs you some things, but not the ones people assume. I'm at the gym five days a week now and feel as strong as I have in years, so it isn't a story about decline. It's smaller than that: hearing aid glasses now, some unfortunate hair loss, a night on the boat that costs me more the next morning than it used to (I still love it.) 

At close to 70, semi-retired, I get to choose what earns my attention, and I've learned I do my best thinking in chunks now. Read something, write something, set it aside, let it sit while I'm doing something else entirely. Some mornings that means a quantum computing paper worked through in pieces over a week. It happens with my writing too - for example - I’ve been working on this post for a couple of weeks. Other mornings it means running the boat out of Clearwater before the wind picks up, no agenda beyond fish and water. Last week it meant France with the kids and it was spectacular! 

I've also had time to reconnect with people I let drift over four decades of building a career, old friends from K-12 and early consulting years, conversations that don't happen when every hour has a client attached to it.

My career has taught me plenty of technical things. It didn't teach me to work this way though, small pieces, long pauses, letting a hard idea sit until it loosens up on its own. The job never allowed for it. Semi-retirement has.

I’ll finish the topological qubit paper eventually. Not because I'm slower now. Because I finally have the room to work the way my mind actually wants to work, and the time to take my time.

I'm Retiring From My Full Time Engineering Faculty Position at Holyoke Community College

“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something
else.” – Fred Rogers

After an enriching and fulfilling career spanning five decades, I am announcing my retirement from my full-time engineering faculty position at Holyoke Community College (HCC) effective August 30, 2024. This decision comes with mixed emotions, as I reflect on the journey that has shaped not only my professional life but also my personal growth.

Teaching has been more than just a job; it has been a vocation that allowed me to inspire and nurture countless students, guiding them through the complexities of engineering principles and practices. My time in academia has been marked by moments of profound satisfaction, seeing students evolve into competent and confident engineers and technologists, ready to make their mark in the world. Each graduation ceremony, each successful project, and each breakthrough in understanding (and of course each belly-flop failure) has reinforced my belief in the power of education.

The field of engineering itself has undergone tremendous transformation during my tenure. From the early days of teaching with chalk and blackboards to leveraging cutting-edge technology and online platforms, I have witnessed and embraced these changes, ensuring that my students received the most current and relevant knowledge. The shift towards digital learning, in particular, has been a remarkable journey, one that demanded continuous adaptation and learning on my part.

Retirement from HCC marks the beginning of a new chapter, where I am eager to channel my energy and expertise into some exciting consultancy projects, writing, mentoring, and of course some part-time teaching. The flexibility will allow me to spend more time with my family and yeah (!) - get in a little more fishing. 

Will this be a “sabbatical”  or a permanent change? Having experienced "retirement" in the past and not having it “stick”, I've learned to appreciate the unpredictability of life. This journey has taught me to embrace uncertainty and always stay open to whatever opportunities and possibilities the future may bring.

My academic career has been a tapestry woven with dedication, passion, and countless rewarding experiences. I carry with me a wealth of memories and the profound satisfaction of having contributed to the field of engineering and to the lives of so many young minds.