Thanks

My last field trip with the PLA was a very enjoyable and memorable experience. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to travel with my fellow, bright Penn staters and explore a new city. I’d like to thank all the people who made this trip possible and as incredible as it was. First and foremost, thanks go to Ed and Helen without whom the PLA would not exist. I remember first joining the LA and being initially scared to interact with such accomplished and well respected alumni who I knew as the people who the alumni center was named after. I remember getting the chance to talk to Helen in Boston at the science museum we had dinner at overlooking the Charles a being blown away by how relatable and down to earth both she and Ed were. Throughout my PLA experiences, my conversations with the Hintzs have proven to be some of my most important ones, within PLA and my entire PSU experience. This trip, I got a chance to update Helen on my research goals and my biomedical technology ideas for the future, as well as a noteworthy conversation about philanthropy. I feel that my life experiences have been blessed to have the Hintzs involved and I hope that I can leave such a lasting impact on future generations.

I would also like to thank the people responsible for organizing this trip, Melissa, Amanda, and Maddie, without whom the trip would have been impossible. The choices of visits and restaurants were almost always exciting (some of the trips were not my favorites, but I know others really enjoyed them). Logistical hiccups were overcome to allow for an educational and entertaining trip. I would like to thank Dean Bischke for the interesting conversations and the chance to learn about her interests and history. As a member of a “leadership” organization, it has been interesting to examine the leadership style that Dean Bischke brings to her job as a Dean and professor in contrast to that of Dean Brady. I feel like I have learned a lot from watching from afar but would love to have a more explicit discussion at some point to her views on leadership. Finally, and absolutely not least, I’d like to thank Cheryl T for working incredibly hard to ensure Matt and I were able to fly back with the rest of the PLA