So I'm slowly returning to the real world. After being M.I.A for close to the last 6 months, and before that, 5 years of working myself to the bone...well more like 22 years that is, I finally reached the pinnacle of higher education. On 11 May 2009 sometime around 3:45pm EST I passed my dissertation defense and was granted my Ph.D. As of yesterday, 08 June 2009, I paid the thesis printing fees, doctoral filing fees, and graduate school fees totaling in excess of $200 and was officially awarded my Ph.D. So I'm no longer a student (in the academic sense) but will remain a student throughout the rest of my life.

From now till the 30th of June, I'm just working in the lab, wrapping up the last of my thesis related experiments, transferring other running projects to other graduate students and closing this chapter of my life. On the 1st of July, I start working for a local Ithaca biotech company called Vybion, Inc. and will be in Ithaca for at least another year. After that, I may stick with the company or head out into the unknown and see what else this world has to offer.

For now my main goal is to reattain that work-life balance that I sacrificed these last few months and to really enjoy the Ithaca/upstate New York summer as much as I can. This will be one of the last times that I'll truly have freedom to take a long lunch break and sleep under the trees on Libe slope.

I've added a few pictures from the graduation festivities and would like to thank my parents, my brother and sister, my faculty members, and all my friends who made this Cornell/Ithaca/Ph.D experience memorable. I love all of you and there will be many more celebrations to be had!

Post graduation party with 3 other graduates - Edgar, Margareth and Ymir

With my advisor Matthew P. DeLisa

Bought the bike a year earlier as a motivation tool so I would complete the Ph.D in 5 years... the matching colors were not on purpose!

Classic headshot for all the family and friends. Thank you everyone once again for all your support throughout this endeavour.

So this last weekend was just amazing... am currently recovering from a) 500+ miles on my motorcycle, b) the poison ivy rash that I got the week before, c) slamming my body into the surface of a lake at 20+ mph while learning to wake board, d) successfully wake boarding and then face-planting in said lake, e) lack of sleep due to really late nights and early mornings. The most important part is that I did survive and will put up another posting later in the week documenting the weeks activities.

On my agenda for the week: get more experiments done, get a poster and a presentation put together for the BME Departmental Retreat happening on Saturday, get in as little sleep as possible to accomplish those two goals.

So I know that it has been over two years since I last posted, and most of you have not bothered to check this entry... I figured I'd start up again since I'm doing a 500+ mile motorcycle ride tomorrow into the valleys and hills of the Adirondack Park. Destination Schroon Lake and a fun filled weekend of activities that won't be disclosed publicly. So stay tuned...if I make it back, this will be updated...if I don't, then its been great knowing everyone and I'll catch you on the flip-side if you're lucky!

So I have decided that its about time that I catch up with the rest of the world and find a little space in this whole web that I can call my own. Currently I am in NYC enjoying the life of a graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering program, learning all about the medical field (well at least cardiology and everything that goes into cardiac imaging), and having as much fun as I can have before I have to return back to upstate NY and Ithaca for the next three years. For those who know me, and for those who want to know me, just send me a message and we'll figure something out, since my schedule for the next three weeks is flexible.
Hope everyone is enjoying their summer, no matter where you are, and living life up to the fullest. No time to waste just sitting around and letting such beautiful days fly by.