Lots of updates

Spring is in full bloom in Gothenburg, and at the end of a nice four-day weekend due to some Christian holiday that nobody in Sweden really seems to know much about, it's about time I update the old blog. I am now a month past the two-year mark of being here, and some of you may be wondering why I'm still here. Well, if you came to Sweden, you would understand. Beautiful people, nearly endless sunshine (this time of year), and fika. I extended my contract so I could stay longer, but then a couple of things came up that will bring me back to the US at the end of the summer.

The first of these "things" is a one-year fellowship in Washington, D.C. Starting in September, I will have the opportunity to work in Congress, basically as an advisor on how science and technology can be used in policy-making. I'll either be on the staff of a Senator or Congressperson, or working on a Congressional committee. Which person or committee? Well, that won't be decided until after I start, so you can hold that question until October.

The second is a faculty position at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, where I'll start as an Assistant Professor after the fellowship. My position is in the School of Systems and Enterprises, where I'll continue doing research and teaching that focuses on product design, systems thinking, and sustainability.

So what have I been up to since my last post? Well, in February I took a snowboarding trip to the Italian Alps, followed by a business/pleasure trip up to northern Sweden in Luleå. March included two trips to the US for faculty interviews at three different schools. In April and May I attended conferences in Milan (Italy), Hangzhou (China), and Dubrovnik (Croatia), made yet another trip to the US for a wedding, ran two awesome races in Gothenburg, and taught a Ph.D. course. Now, I am looking forward to spending June in Sweden, enjoying the sunshine and wrapping up my work here, perhaps tacking on some final European travels in July, and then heading back stateside in mid-August.

I have lots of big, exciting changes ahead! Leaving Gothenburg will be sad, and I will miss the friends and colleagues that I have gotten to know over here. However, modern technology will help me keep up with my Swedish brethren in much the same way that I have kept up with my American life over the last two years. Tack till er, Internet and Google!

Also, check out the new 2014 album for some visual enjoyment.

Ses senare,
Steven