Teaching two fully online classes at two different universities has been an unexpectedly meaningful experience. I’ve taught hybrid courses and plenty of in‑person classes, but never exclusively online. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it—or if my students would—but it turned out to be both energizing and rewarding. My students are scattered across the United States, which makes the learning environment wonderfully diverse. To help them build relationships across the distance, I

Loneliness among seniors is a growing concern that often goes unnoticed. This week, a simple phone call from a friend’s mother, who received a Christmas card but chose to call instead of sending one back, brought this issue into sharp focus. Her husband passed away this year, and through helping my mother-in-law prepare to sell her house, I realized how many elderly people live isolated lives. At the same time, I spoke with a friend planning to start classes for parents facin

I plan to teach systems theory and system engineering in the spring at two universities. It is always a challenge to estimate how much you are asking students to do, especially in a new class. I found this tool from Wake Forest that helps plan a course load. I have taught online and in person, but now I am teaching post-AI and COVID. The systems theory is a new class for me, and it is all online. Every student is different. I can read really fast, but I write slowly. If you