Jack's musings on human nature, science, higher education, cooking, photography, and life...

My wife and I are what most people would call avid bicyclists.  We aren’t as extreme as many of the fellow cyclists we know, but weather permitting we try to ride 3 – 4 times per week with durations between 25 – 45 miles. We’ve enjoyed cycling together for over 30 years.  We’ve shared some fantastic vacations and accomplishments on our bikes and many of our best friends are fellow cyclists we’ve met around the world through the years.  It’s been, and continues to be, a big part of our lives. One trip in particular has become an annual ritual.  Something we look forward to every year.  We love cycling in the TX Hill Country each spring around Easter.  This tradition began when we lived in the Dallas area (Plano, TX) in the mid ‘80’s with the  Easter Hill Country Tour    It’s a laid back three day cycling tour based out of Kerrville State Park over the Easter weekend that draws over a thousand cyclists. The organizing club maps out three ride options per day ranging from 25 to 100 miles

I visited my first Campus Management customer recently and it reminded me of how exhilarating it is to experience an institution that “get’s it right”. What do I mean by “gets it right?”. Well, it’s not just one thing. I’ll suggest it’s a combination of the following: There’s a unifying institutional vision and culture that’s real. One you can sense. It's palpable...  It manifests itself in how the faculty, students, and staff interact with each other. There's a mutual respect that comes from the understanding that all are part of a greater purpose. There’s an undeniable focus on the student. Everything is built to foster their success. The right people, excellent academic programs, efficient processes, and supportive technology are all in place to help the student achieve their objective. Institutional leadership is naturally inspirational, but they understand that’s not enough. They realize their institution is a complex enterprise that needs to operate like a

I can't stop thinking about the following short video featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson titled "Science in America" that I recently posted to social media. It's incredibly powerful and I ask you to watch it if you haven't already done so. It's impossible for me to be more eloquent or passionate than Dr. Tyson. His explanation of the scientific method's self correcting mechanisms is poignant. Hell, it's worth watching again so go ahead. I've watched this video several times and I found myself getting angrier and angrier each time I did. How can we as a nation so casually ignore scientifically proven theories? But then it dawned on me, people aren’t ignoring all science. They've chosen to question only those theories that challenge their personal beliefs or economic interests. Einstein’s theory of General Relativity or the completely bizarre sub-atomic world described by Quantum Mechanics are not being widely challenged. Let’s f

I recently read the following article published by Forbes about what millennials in leadership roles expect from their leaders. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/11/16/five-things-your-millennial-leader-needs-from-you/#4bc72cce1cec Their “shocking” insight is that millennial leaders react best to leaders that care about them and nurture them as individuals.   Specifically, Forbes stated that millennial leaders expect: 1. Great company leadership 2. A clear understanding of what success looks like 3. To be treated as an individual, not a number 4. Regular feedback 5. Mentorship I must be a millennial because that’s pretty much what I expect from a leader as well. Yikes.  When did these leadership fundamentals of caring for and nurturing the growth of an individual become generational?  I’d argue that these leadership basics have been wired into our brains since the dawn of modern humans. In fact, these social skills may define a modern huma