New Job!

It seems an insurmountable task to stay up-to-date on this blog anymore, but I'm still giving it the ol' college try.  The biggest news of the past week or so is the job I've been offered.  A few weeks ago, I interviewed for a lecturer position in applied geology at Curtin Uni, just around the corner from my present office.  I felt that the interview itself went really well, but the 45 minute public talk I gave to a hand-full of geo-types was kind of a blur, so it was difficult for me to honestly assess my chances.

When the department chair called me a couple of weeks later, the tone of his voice and the way he beat around the bush convinced me he was trying to find a way to let me down easy.  So, imagine my surprise when he told me that after careful consideration the committee had decided, almost unanimously, that I was the best candidate for the job.  They were very impressed with me and, as it turns out, they were thanking their lucky stars that I was in the right place at the right time because I have exactly the skill set they were hoping for.  It turns out that igneous petrology is an area of great need in addition to a passion for teaching.  Lucky me.

So, I negotiated my contract last week and will be returning to Perth on a three-year contract to start July 1, 2009.  This gives me just a few more months to finish up my Ph.D. and try to crank out a few more papers (woo hoo).  As sad as I am to leave Alaska, I am very excited about the prospect of teaching full time and living in Australia.