I teach finance and MIS at the university level, and am looking at new ways to help students explore solving current problems with mathematical parameters.  It seems each year students are less prepared coming out of high school, so getting them up to a level of understanding to tackle complex problems is a challenge. 

If you have ideas about engaging current students with math, I’d love to hear them.

Happy New Year 2018!

I’m headed to Germany to lead a class on the German Auto Industry. We’ll visit Porsche, Mercedes and BMW, among other companies.

Ann and I had the adventure of a lifetime exploring the Canadian Rockies with Road Scholar in July. We also camped throughout the US Rocky Mountains. Here we are at Moraine Lake. Notice the emerald water – it is from glacial “flour” – ground up rock.

I’ve been watching Adirondack guide boats since the late 1970s, and recently got serious about looking for a good used kevlar / fiberglass model from the Adirondack Guide Boat Company of Vermont (http://www.adirondack-guide-boat.com/). A clean used Vermont Fishing Dory (one foot shorter and a bit wider than their guide boat) turned up for sale in Maine. What better excuse to take a trip to the Maine coast? We brought it home last week, and it has been out rowing on Alma Pond twice. Both times a Bald Eagle flew overhead, and one time a pair of Great Blue Herons flew by. It is a wonderful boat to row – fast and stable for fishing.

I learned about the Master Forest Owner (MFO) Program in early 2010 and it
sounded intriguing. I had owned forest land for a decade, and enjoyed
working in the woods on occasion for over 40 years. I had worked with a NYS
DEC forester and had a written management plan, but the more I learned about
forest stewardship the more I wanted to learn.

The MFO program was a perfect fit. We spent four days at Cornell’s Arnot
Forest learning about all aspects of forest management for both sawtimber
and wildlife. Fellow students were mostly NYFOA members and all shared a
love for forests. We enjoyed the classes and field trips, and were well-fed
every day. The instructors were knowledgable, enthusiastic and interesting.

Our committment to give back after the training was to make five visits to
other forest owners by December of the following year. I was able to make
six visits in 2011, and have made two 2012 visits as of March 6th. I met a
variety of interesting people and walked with them in their forests large
and small. Each forest is different, and each owner’s objectives are
different, but every one has shared the desire to get more out of their
forest ownership experience.

The MFOs are not foresters, just fellow landowners who want to share their
enthusiasm and training about forest ownership / stewardship. If you would
like to get independent inputs about your forest, contact a local MFO. If
you are willing to spend some time visiting fellow forest owners and want to
expand your knowledge of forests, I encourage you to apply for MFO training.
The training significantly broadened my understanding, and the opportunity
to share time with others in their forests has been a real treat. What
better way to sepnd a few hours a year than tramping around new woods?

New York has a Master Forest Owner (MFO) program in addition to the Master Gardener program.  MFOs are forest owners, not foresters.  They are volunteers who can visit other forest owners to share information based on the owner’s objectives and interests.  For more information, visit http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/mfo/

I have been a MFO for just over a year, and have enjoyed visiting eight woodlots in Allegany County.  There is always something to learn.

I recently learned of a society of descendents of Fielding Lewis and Betty Washington.  Their Fielding Lewis was a first cousin of my Robert of Belvoir.  I am interested in their society as they have annual meetings to learn more about their history.  In 2011 they met in Williamsburg, VA.  They will meet again June 22 – 24, 2012 in Alexandria, VA.  In 2013 they plan a trip to England and Wales to visit sites of importance to the Washington and Lewis families.  I was delighted to be able to share information about points of interest in the Lewis family to the party that went to England and Wales in Oct 2011, and they were able to take many photos in the Abergavenny area.  If you are interested in this group, you can look them up at  http://lewis-family-descendants.com/

Finals are done and grades are posted!  Nearly all my students at Alfred University’s College of Business did very well, and I sure learned a lot from their questions.  Excel pivot tables were one of the most interesting things we worked on in MIS.

We have a four-week time to refresh and then Spring 2012 semester begins.