What We Did on our Summer Vacations

“What I did on my summer vacation” – the all-familiar dreaded essay when children return to school.  It’s a long-running joke in comic strips and movies. But now that the fall semester is in full swing, and summer officially ends next week, we decided to ask faculty, “what did you do on your summer vacation?” (…aka summer break.)

Did you know that two faculty members attended and presented at the Teaching Professor Conference in Atlanta, Georgia?   Meanwhile, two other faculty members attended the Center for Occupational Therapy Education annual summer institute in Colorado.  Our chairperson traveled to Vietnam with a biology professor and 20 students as part of a May term course.  Our chairperson also completed a lengthy departmental annual report for the college.  Three faculty members worked on doctoral research proposals and associated activities.  Several faculty members engaged in clinical practice with pediatrics or adults.  Our FW coordinator and five additional faculty members visited 70+ level II students throughout PA, NJ, MD, DE, VA, NY…and more.  At least two faculty members engaged in professional writing, preparing manuscripts for publication. Others read books, journal articles and other materials in preparation for teaching courses this fall.

On a personal note, faculty also engaged in various leisure pursuits.  A summer theater program found one faculty member helping to create sets and costumes.  Faculty members did some local and distant traveling to various vacation spots and attractions including Hershey Park, Longwood Gardens, the Philadelphia Art Museum, Colonial Williamsburg, Assateague Island National Seashore, Maine, and various beaches.  Gardening, concerts, swimming, camping, hiking, biking, reading (for fun!) , and spending time with family helped round out the faculty members’ “occupations” this summer.