Three Years of Blogging and Post Number 767

This week, I mark the third birthday or "anniversary" of this blog, which I began on January 19, 2009.

When I first started this blog, I never imagined that I would learn so much from the experience -- from my fellow bloggers, especially those in Operations Research, as well as from my readers (and I continue to be surprised when former students, locals, and those from thousands of miles away let me know that they appreciate what I write about).

The focus of this blog has been to highlight research, education, and networks, and it has featured quite a few amazing individuals, from Kings to Presidents (of universities, as well), to individuals who are making a difference and these have also included children (the trips of students and alums from The Bement School to the Dominican Republic to help out in a boys orphanage, for example).

The research that I have highlighted on this blog has ranged from humanitarian logistics and healthcare to a variety of advances in supply chains, transportation, electric power, and financial networks.

I have also included numerous photographs from conferences, and from celebratory events (graduations from high school, from universities, awards and grants received, and even sports achievements, from the World Cup to figure skating) as well as from my world-wide travels. Such posts continue to be some of my most accessed posts (who is not fascinated by Argentina, New Zealand, Iceland, Ukraine, China, or Italy)?

I've also tried to voice what it is like to be a female academic, who loves math and science; who teaches in a business school, who does a lot of research, writes journal articles and books, and who also is a mother and wife. The challenges never end and resiliency matters.

I write to get good news out when it happens and to recognize unfairness and inequities. I also try to comment from an analytical angle (as I do in the classes that I teach) on what is happening in the world.

This is post 767, which (I can't help but love numbers) reminds me of the Boeing 767 aircraft, and, given the amount of time that I spend on airplanes and at airports, this suits me fine. If your area of expertise is transportation, logistics, and networks, you need to be out there.