One thing I learned early on at UF was how much Gators truly love this university. The intensity of this bond surprised me at first, until I quickly came to the same feeling myself. As much as I will miss serving as dean, the siren of Chemistry still calls. She and I have maintained a fairly good relationship in the interim, as my graduate students and postdocs kept my research laboratory active. I used to be a pretty fair teacher, and we will see how far these skills have eroded after removal of the administrative rust.
Chemistry is a demanding profession.
There was never any option, even had I wished, to put my research laboratory on a shelf for 12 years and ever hope to recover. It would have meant returning to a world that had passed me by, with little hope of retooling sufficiently to have a scholarly presence. Fortunately, our research in analytical atomic spectroscopy has prospered, so while my fellow chemists often questioned the sanity of remaining dean so long, my Science Guy union card was never quite revoked. More importantly, CLAS also finds itself in a good position for the transition to new leadership. The future dean, when appointed, will benefit from the presence of distinguished faculty, strong academic programs, and a sense of optimism for the future.