Rudy Owens' Blog

On May 11, 2012, faculty and students gathered at the Center for Urban Horticulture to celebrate accomplishments achieved during the academic year. Such events are important, I think, particularly when those honored truly deserve the accolades of their peers. To my delight, three graduate students who I know and respect greatly won top honors from their respective departments and programs, and even the entire school: Valerie Pacino, Bridget Igoe, and Mateo Banegas. It was awesome to see this kind of recognition of people who I am confident will be leaders in whatever place in health care, policy, science, or research they find themselves. It is so fun to get to meet people who you know will be making their mark in the world.

As for me, I am just delighted to be at the end of the long, expensive, and interesting journey. At times exhausting, and at times fascinating, graduate programs no matter what the field or the school have their ebbs and flows. The best part of course is when you reach the end and look back on all you have done. To celebrate the final class of my program (Community Oriented Public Health Practice), one of my classmates surprised us all by preparing mimosas before noon, while we did a very thorough review of management and organizational behavior theory (and I really enjoyed this block, taught by Professor William Dowling). I still have a couple of presentations to make, and of course get that all elusive great job doing what I love to do, but all in due time.