Michael Peres reflects on his 39 years at RIT
After 39 years of teaching in RIT’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences, Professor Michael Peres says that he is most proud of the relationships he’s made with his students and colleagues over the years. As he looks toward retirement on June 30, he fondly recalls the memories he’s made on campus.
Peres has made many contributions to the College of Art and Design and the larger RIT community since joining the university in 1986—and his time at RIT was marked by many “firsts.” Peres was a founding member of the RIT Big Shot team and worked on the first Big Shot in 1987. A book he co-produced, called Images from Science, was the first publication of the Cary Graphic Arts Press, now known as RIT Press. He also taught RIT’s first distance-learning course in photography, long before the advent of Zoom and other tools that make distance learning more seamless.
Peres was the recipient of the RIT Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2003, which recognizes faculty members who excel at teaching and enhance student learning. He also received the College of Art and Design’s Gitner Prize and the Frank J. Romano Prize for Publishing Entrepreneurship. Another highlight of his career, he says, was serving as editor-in-chief for the Focal Encyclopedia of Photography 4th edition.
Below are some reflections Peres shared about his time at RIT.
How have you grown as an educator since you started at RIT?
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Peres joked that while he had two children at home, his campus family included the many students who sought his guidance and support over the years. Photo Credit: Michael Peres
My teaching at the beginning of my career was very fact based. But with experience, I started to realize there were so many more important lessons that needed to come from my being in the classroom. Lessons about working with others, problem solving, critical thinking, and professional practices. It wasn’t just about the specific subject itself, but about the personal learning. Seeing the evolution from an 18-year-old starting college to earning a Ph.D. or M.D. or growing into leadership roles has been a great gift for me.
But, I think I’ve learned more from my 39 years here than I might have taught. My fascination with photographing snowflakes was inspired by a student named Emily Marshall, who graduated in 2003. She saw an exhibition by Wilson Bentley, a snowflake photographer, and came back to campus saying she wanted to photograph a snowflake. I had never photographed a snowflake and, initially, I was a little hesitant. But I reached out to her the next day, and we set up a microscope in the breezeway between Booth and Gannett halls. It didn't work out at all, but we learned an awful lot. Now, over 20 years later, I am still doing it.
What are some of your fondest memories connecting with RIT’s photography community through the Big Shot?
Every Big Shot was an adventure, and it was a perpetual challenge to make Big Shot bigger, more interesting, and more inclusive every year. A truly notable moment was bringing the Big Shot to the Intrepid Museum. Going to New York City to talk with the management team of the Intrepid was exciting, but they told us we had to rent out the ship for $28,000 if we wanted to make a photo of the ship. We came back to Rochester like dogs with our tails between our legs but, with the help of Ed Lincoln (director of Alumni Relations in 1998), we were able to photograph the museum and we had this massive alumni afterparty. President Simone was there with the president of Fuji Film, and CNN featured us.
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After making the Big Shot photo at the Intrepid Museum on Oct. 28, 1999, CNN produced a story about the project and interviewed Peres and other members of the team.
Another Big Shot that was exceptional was when we photographed the Royal Palace in Stockholm. The Big Shot photo became the national Swedish Christmas card for two years. I have a signed card from King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia. After our visit, they put lighting on the outside of the palace. They’d never seen the palace lit at night like it was lit for the Big Shot picture. It’s interesting to think that we inspired change at the Royal Palace.
An interesting evolution we worked through was the transition from film to digital photography. In the earliest days of the Big Shot, we had to run home, develop the negatives, and then make prints. Then, we would run the prints to the television stations and the newspapers while they were still wet to try to get on the 11 p.m. news or in the morning paper. Hand delivering prints was a fun way to distribute our work. Now, we make a picture and 5 minutes after the picture is done, it's distributed all around the world.
What are your post-RIT plans?
I’m giving myself the year to not put any pressure on myself or make commitments. It feels nice to just dwell on what’s happened at RIT and celebrate the future. I’ve made photographs since 1972, so I have a massive collection of slides, negatives, digital files, prints, and all these things that need attention. I’m going to spend the first year figuring out what I want to do with those things.
I have two beautiful grandchildren and we’re going to do some traveling. I’ll take my dog for long walks and hang out with him. I’m on a committee at the Eastman Museum that I go to monthly, and I volunteer for the Friends of the Public Market by designing their newsletter. I also volunteer at a nonprofit called InterVol and I go there to sort unused medical supplies and equipment that is redistributed to developing countries. I find great joy in contributing my time and energy to important work like that.
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- Interpreter Richard “Smitty” Smith to retire after 46 years at NTIDRichard Smith remembers pivotal moments that led to his career path as an ASL-English interpreter. When he was 16 years old, he had the opportunity to see a sign-language interpreter at work. After that, he signed up for free sign-language classes offered at RIT. “It was these moments, along with others, that made me realize this was the work I wanted to do and that NTID was where I wanted to be,” said Smith. Forty-six years later, “Smitty,” as he affectionately known on campus, will retire June 30 from his role as curriculum support/materials development coordinator in NTID’s Department of American Sign Language-English Interpretation. Throughout his career, Smith, who started at NTID in 1979, has earned several awards, including the Alice Beardsley Professional Interpreter of the Year Award, the Department of Interpreting Services Interpreter Emeritus Award, the Genesee Valley Region Registry of Interpreters Service Award, and the Rochester Deaf Kitchen Most Valuable Interpreter Award. He has also twice received the NTID Advisory Group Award. “NTID has given me far more than I have contributed—a life, a career, and a purpose,” he said. “I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and couldn’t be more grateful.” How has the field of ASL interpreting changed throughout the years? The field has changed quite a bit. There is more research and new and different ways of looking at things and more Deaf colleagues interpreting and taking on leadership roles. There is also more open dialogue, which is truly wonderful. When I first started, there were no degree programs offered for interpreters—just training programs. Now, interpreters can earn a doctoral degree or specialty certificates, such as interpreting in healthcare. What will you miss most after you retire? Hands down, I will miss seeing all of the students—Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing—grow and become leaders. I will also miss talking about ASL and the work that we do as interpreters. What are a few of your most memorable interpreting assignments? I had the opportunity to work in China and see the Great Wall. I was also able to interpret in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg in Russia. It was also a pleasure to work as an interpreter on the social work team within Interpreting Services for eight years. Those were the best years. What are your plans during retirement? I have plans to go to the gym, volunteer at the Rochester Deaf Kitchen food pantry, and continue with my hobby of making raised garden beds, rolling plant stands, and holiday ornaments from scrap wood and recycled materials. Oh, and I plan to take naps.
- AI brain-computer interface expert and former Oxford University professor joins RITFormer Oxford University professor Newton Howard is fueled by his fascination with quantum biology and neuroscience. He believes there is a future where we can not only understand the brain at a deeper level but unlock new ways to enhance cognitive function and treat neurological disorders. This fall, Howard will bring his enthusiasm and expertise to Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Individualized Study as a professor of practice. Howard is the founder of ni2o, Inc., an organization dedicated to enhancing cognitive and athletic performance for those affected by neurological conditions. His career has spanned academia, the U.S. military, and the private sector, and he is known for transforming research into real-world applications, including having roles in developing technologies such as wireless hotspots, Google Earth, and Google Translate. He has several U.S. patents, presented at national and international conference, and has published journal articles, papers, and textbooks. As a former professor at Oxford, where he is still a member of the university’s congregation, MIT, and Georgetown University, Howard founded and directed multiple laboratories, including the Computational Neurosciences Lab at Oxford and the Synthetic Intelligence Lab at MIT. He is also the founder of The Howard Brain Sciences Foundation and C4ADS (Center for Advanced Defense Studies), a think-tank dedicated to data-driven analysis of global conflicts and transnational security threats. “RIT is a university on the cutting-edge of technology, the arts, and design, and Newton Howard is a perfect representation of our mission and aspirational thinking,” said James Hall, dean of RIT University Studies and executive director of the School of Individualized Study. “We are thrilled that Dr. Howard will share his spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship with our students who are always on the lookout for ways to pursue opportunities to make a positive difference in the world.” RIT’s Professor of Practice designation recognizes industry professionals with extensive experience in their fields who bring real-world knowledge and expertise into the classroom. This fall, Howard will be supporting RIT partnerships with alumni in the private and public sectors while continuing to conduct research that advances understanding of the brain and the development of neural prosthetics to treat brain and neurological diseases. As he looks ahead to interacting with students and faculty this fall, Howard says, “As we work together at RIT, we are not just shaping minds, but shaping the future. The greatest discoveries happen when we embrace the diversity of thought, challenge our assumptions, and learn from one another. I look forward to contributing to a community where both faculty and students are partners in the pursuit of knowledge. It is through genuine interaction, shared insight, and interdisciplinary collaboration that we can create meaningful advancements.”
- COSMOS-Web opens window into universe for scientists and citizensCOSMOS-Web was the largest General Observer program selected by the James Webb Space Telescope for Cycle 1. The team, led by RIT Associate Professor Jeyhan Kartaltepe, has publicly released its full data set, including a catalog and an interactive viewer. The release gives the largest look at the deep universe ever, providing data for scientists to make future discoveries. Already, scientists have found a treasure trove of early galaxies. COSMOS-Web provides the largest view deep into the universe ever, and now an easily searchable catalog with all of the data is available to the public. COSMOS-Web was the largest General Observer program selected for Cycle 1 of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The survey mapped 0.54 square degrees of the sky (about the area of three full moons) with the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and a 0.2 square degree area with the Mid Infrared Instrument (MIRI). While previous surveys have aimed to help astronomers map and understand what exists in the vast universe, the advanced instruments of JWST have allowed COSMOS-Web to study galaxy evolution through a long range of history. “The sensitivity of JWST lets us see much fainter and more distant galaxies than ever before, so we’re able to find galaxies in the very early universe and study their properties in detail,” said Jeyhan Kartaltepe, associate professor at Rochester Institute of Technology and lead researcher of COSMOS-Web. “The quality of the data still blows us away. It is so much better than expected.” COSMOS2025, the catalog containing the photometry, morphology, redshifts, and physical parameters of galaxies from COSMOS-Web, delivers a combination of sensitivity, spatial resolution, and field-of-view to observe nearly 800,000 galaxies. Using JWST imaging, ground-based telescope data, and previous COSMOS data, the catalog makes an unprecedented amount of information freely available, opening many unexplored scientific avenues. The full COSMOS-Web color image is shown with a zoom in to the region surrounding a gravitationally lensed galaxy known as the COSMOS-Web ring (Mercier et al. 2024).Credit: Kartaltepe/Casey/Franco/COSMOS-Web “This was an ambitious undertaking that required the development of innovative technologies to simultaneously measure the photometry and morphology of nearly 800,000 galaxies across 37 images,” said Marko Shuntov, postdoctoral researcher at Cosmic DAWN Center. “Building the catalog required tremendous teamwork, and it was all worth it because ultimately it has delivered some of the highest quality redshifts and physical parameters of galaxies that will enable groundbreaking science.” The raw data retrieved during COSMOS-Web was so vast that it was difficult and incredibly time-consuming for scientists to work through it. The public availability of the catalog takes that work out of the equation for the community. The COSMOS-Web team worked to reduce the data, eliminating artifacts, subtracting backgrounds, and improving the astrometry in order to provide accurate photometric and morphological analyses. The breakthroughs already discovered through JWST’s observations have shown how essential NIRCam data is for understanding galaxies in the early universe. Ensuring that the data are science-ready is an achievement that makes COSMOS-Web the standard calibration for future, large surveys. “We combined more than 10,000 images of the sky together to form the largest contiguous image available from JWST,” explained Maximilien Franco, postdoctoral researcher at Université Paris-Saclay. “To do this, we needed to ensure that all the images were properly aligned with existing data, and also to correct for any observational biases. 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In addition, two new COSMOS-Web studies—one examining the structural evolution of brightest group galaxies over the past 11 billion years and another applying artificial intelligence to estimate key galaxy properties from photometry—highlight the wide scientific potential of the catalog. “Thanks to JWST and the COSMOS-Web survey, we can now trace how galaxies shut down star formation, undergo morphological transformation, and how these processes are shaped by their environment across cosmic time, even predicting galaxy properties using AI-driven methods,” said Ghassem Gozaliasl, astrophysicist and researcher at Aalto University. When the JWST launched in 2021, the COSMOS-Web team of nearly 50 researchers around the world had the longest observing time during the telescope’s first year. The team set out with three primary goals: to map and build understanding of the Reionization Era (in the universe’s first billion years); to trace and identify massive galaxy evolution in the first two billion years; and to study how dark matter is linked to visible matter within galaxies. The COSMOS-Web team is made up of nearly 50 researchers from around the world. The group gathered for a conference ahead of their full data release in Marseille, France, in May. Credit: COSMOS-Web After more than 150 visits and 250 hours of observations, the JWST data from COSMOS-Web has provided the information to obtain those goals. The survey has sent scientists into a new age of space observation and data analysis, and has opened the door to a future of understanding and discovery like never before. “We have data and catalogs that we’re very sure of, that we’ve tested and put a lot of work into,” said Kartaltepe. “I can’t overstate how much the field has changed. With data from JWST, we now have a new window on the universe.” COSMOS-Web is jointly led by Kartaltepe and Caitlin Casey, professor of physics at University of California, Santa Barbara, and is part of The Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS). Beginning in 2007, COSMOS joined together more than 200 scientists across the globe to study the formation and evolution of galaxies using both space-based and ground-based telescopes. The remarkable longevity of the collaboration is a testament to the importance of open, accessible science. To learn more For more information on COSMOS-Web, go to the program’s website. The COSMOS-Web images, catalog, and interactive viewer are available through the team’s data release website.
- Summer construction projects underway at RITThe campus may seem quiet, but RIT Facilities Management Services is in high gear, racing to complete construction projects before students return in late August. The team is tasked with completing over 100 projects in a span of just 12 weeks, according to Michael Dellefave, director of Construction/Project Management. “It’s pretty amazing what the project managers and all the contractors are able to complete in a very short summer window,” said Dellefave. Peter Schuck/RIT Construction is continuing at the Music Performance Theater, pictured, and Tiger Stadium. Both facilities should be open to the public in January 2026. Among the major efforts is the renovation of the University Services Center, bringing Student Financial Services, the RIT Service Center, and the ID Card Office under one centralized roof. The redesigned space aims to provide a modern, accessible environment, complete with both front and back of house customer service experiences, a technology support lab, and collaborative work and leisure spaces. Furniture installation is scheduled for completion by mid-July, and all services will be operational for the upcoming fall semester. “The project's objective was to seamlessly integrate multiple essential functions,” said Marielle Santoriello, senior project manager. “The goal was to create an ambiance reminiscent of an Apple Store—clean, modern, inviting. Additionally, we aimed to encourage students, faculty, and staff to relax, eat, and work while they wait for support.” Here are some other projects happening this summer: Residence Halls: This summer marks the third full year of a multi-year plan to modernize RIT's residence halls. Helen Fish Hall and Carlton Gibson Hall are undergoing extensive renovations, including updates to hallways, restrooms, lounges, lighting, carpeting, and ceilings. Notably, air conditioning will also be installed. In addition, more than 400 rooms in Eugene Colby Hall and Gleason Hall are being fitted with new doors and smart lock systems. These upgrades are scheduled for completion by mid-August. Peter Schuck/RIT Carlton Gibson Hall, pictured, and Helen Fish Hall are undergoing extensive renovations this summer, including updates to hallways, restrooms, lounges, lighting, carpeting, and air conditioning. Music Performance Theater: The construction of the new music performance theater remains on schedule, with a scheduled completion date in January 2026. The theater will feature a 750-seat auditorium, two balconies, and a historic 100-year-old restored theater organ, poised to be one of the largest functioning theater organs in the region. Exterior work is expected to be completed by the end of this summer, with interior finishes underway. Tiger Stadium: A state-of-the-art facility designed to support RIT’s lacrosse and soccer programs, is also on track for a January 2026 completion. The stadium will include seating for 1,180 spectators, team locker rooms, a training room, media suite, concession area, and a hospitality room with a glass viewing wall. Tiger Stadium will be the host site for the 2028 NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship. D Lot will continue to operate at a limited capacity until the beginning of the spring 2026 semester. Academics and research: Construction has commenced at 175 Jefferson Road, the former Radisson Hotel, to establish a dedicated space for a future Occupational Therapy program. The facility is slated for completion shortly after January 2026. Peter Schuck/RIT Construction has begun at 175 Jefferson Road, home to the future Occupational Therapy program. This project is slated for completion in early 2026 NTID: Classroom renovations are being finalized this summer, including the addition of Zoom rooms equipped with appropriate lighting for interpreters. Plans for a new Student Support Center and a redesigned north entry are in development, with groundbreaking anticipated early 2026. Park Point: Renovations are underway to expand the current RIT Certified space on the second floor. The space is slated to be complete by late fall. Despite the various construction projects, no major roadwork is expected on campus this summer, according to Dellefave.
- Senior project uses AI-powered tools to help local business expand across North AmericaWhile kids are out having fun, RIT software engineers are hard at work building the tech that helps families identify events and activities in their area. A team of software engineering students is completing a senior project with KidsOutAndAbout.com, an event curation platform that helps families find local events. The students are developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered system that will help the Rochester-based small business scale its operations and reach new communities. The collaboration is part of the software engineering program’s Senior Project—a capstone course where small teams tackle real-world software problems submitted by companies and organizations. Throughout two semesters, students work with a project sponsor to carry the project from inception through an entire software development lifecycle. The result is a ready-to-use functional software tool for the sponsor. “It’s a great experience to work with a small business and at every meeting we can truly feel the impact that our eventual product will have,” said Chris Shepard, a software engineering student team member who is from Cheshire, Conn. “It gives us a lot of context for how many businesses operate, which is knowledge we wouldn’t have gotten inside the classroom.” The experiential work is part of the software engineering Senior Project capstone course, which allows students to work on real challenges, apply their skills end-to-end, and deliver something meaningful for a sponsor organization. Since KidsOutAndAbout.com launched in 2001, all its calendar events have been manually input—mostly by the sponsoring organizations themselves. The regional calendars are then reviewed and supplemented by the site’s data team of seven employees based in Rochester. This labor-intensive process has limited the company’s ability to expand beyond its current 52 markets in the U.S. and Canada. The student team is creating a two-part solution. First, a custom web scraper collects pages from businesses’ websites. Then, an AI large language model trained by the students will determine whether webpages contain event information. Verified pages are routed to the KidsOutAndAbout.com content team for review, dramatically reducing the time required to find and post appropriate events. The second part of the system uses the Google Places API to identify new businesses in untapped geographic regions. “The API allows us to search for categories and locations,” said Shepard. “So, when they want to expand to a new region, they don’t need to manually try and find new businesses—the entire process is automatic.” For example, the new system was able to identify 600 new organizations in Anchorage, Alaska that had not yet been added to the website. This process, which used to take about a week of human searching, was accomplished in approximately two minutes. “Thanks to this student-led innovation, we’ll finally be able to extend our reach everywhere—not just major markets,” said Debra Ross, publisher and founder of KidsOutAndAbout.com. “What’s especially exciting is that the solution they’re developing will increase person-to-person connection between the creators of community experiences and their audiences—at a time when so many fear that AI replaces rather than enhances human connection.” The RIT team includes software engineering seniors Shepard, JD Bartholomew, Alec Haag, Edward Teutle, Eva Stoddard, Joe Wesnofske, and Jahmir Hinds. The team said that some of the biggest learning lessons have been on time management and developing unique workarounds to manage costs. The team has now entered the summer semester of the project and look forward to working directly with company to implement the system. “Our big goal this summer is to get everything up and running in the AWS cloud, make the AI model as accurate as possible, and work directly with the content management team to work out any bugs found in the user interface,” said Bartholomew, who is from Weston, Mass. “It’ll be busy, but we are looking forward to it.”
- Robert Pearson retires from microelectronic engineering programRobert Pearson helped make history when RIT began its microelectronic engineering program in the early 1980s. An RIT alumnus of the electrical engineering program and MicroE’s first faculty hire, Pearson reflected on some of that history—and his place in it—before retiring this summer after more than 40 years. Pearson started his RIT story with highlights that included following in the footsteps of his father, Milton ’64 (Imaging science), combining electrical engineering and imaging science and coming to campus in 1976 as a student-athlete. He took advantage of early co-op experiences at Fairchild Semiconductor International in Maine and later its R&D center in California. He eventually worked for the company after graduation, before bringing a combination of academics and industry skills to teaching. He saw great potential in the degree program, in the growing semiconductor industry, and RIT’s commitment to building what he would describe as a first-of-its-kind program, recognized by peer universities and industry for its skilled semiconductor graduates. How did you come to teach in the microelectronics engineering program? I started here in fall ’76 and played soccer. Before my first co-op I didn’t have a resume and went over to see sports information director, Roger Dykes. I made copies, sent it out, and got a co-op at Fairchild in Maine because Roger typed up my resume. When I came back, I had classes with Lynn Fuller in semiconductor physics and thick film integrated circuits. He said, ‘I’ve got some equipment here, do you want to try to make some transistors? Just come in and start working. But you’ve got to write it up as lab reports.’ A buddy and I made the first photo masks, capacitors, solar cells, and transistors in 1979. My master’s thesis was a formalized version of all those lab reports. It is basically what we teach in our sophomore course, Integrated Circuit Technology now. It has survived the test of time. I was working at Fairchild Semiconductors after graduation. When I visited RIT at Thanksgiving ’82, they had just started the microelectronics engineering program in September. Lynn Fuller, founder of the program, said, ‘I don’t have any faculty—it’s just me and 60 freshmen. Would you like to be a teacher?’ I asked, ‘When?’ He said, ‘January.’ So I went back to Maine, quit my job and moved back home with my wife. What are some significant milestones in the program you were involved with since it began? When I started teaching, we were in a couple of crowded rooms on the third floor of the engineering building. People were interested in the semiconductor field, and the country was very much interested in re-shoring—just like now. Lynn put together a proposal for a new building. I think the projected cost at the time was a measly $5 million. By 1985, we were ready to open the building, and who do we invite—Jack Kilby, inventor of the integrated circuit. And we gave him an honorary Ph.D. even before he was awarded the Nobel Prize. Carlos Ortiz/RIT Robert Pearson has taught numerous lab courses and trainings. Some of his early lab notes and processes from the cleanroom during the time he was a student became the basis for some of the program materials used today. What are some of the similarities and differences of the industry and students, then and now? The industry in the early days of our program was very much aware of what decisions they made and how it affected their bottom line. If they found they were getting good hires from RIT, and it was helping them, they did their best to encourage us. That kept us on track for teaching what they wanted. When the semiconductor industry was still emerging, it was exciting. It was one of the obvious roots to success. The students were eager, and they worked hard. They still do. Our alumni said their careers took off because of RIT. They traveled internationally, managed big departments and projects, started their own companies. It just amazes me what all our students have done. What personal and academic accomplishments are you most proud of? Motorola was set to build a fab in Virginia. I thought, I would love a teaching experience at a place that had a fab right next door. We did get industry support at RIT, but not in the way of having it right there. Ironically, I went to Virginia after 14 years teaching at RIT and developed a microelectronic engineering program at Virginia Commonwealth University. It’s interesting that people thought they could do what RIT did, like it was no big deal, and they could not. The uniqueness of this program is immense. I returned to teaching at RIT in 2003 and became program director in 2008. Outside of the college, I’ve been a steering committee member of two large conferences—the University Industry Government Microelectronic Symposium since 1985 and the Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference (founded by Lynn Fuller) since 1992. It was good advertising for our programs at RIT and what we are doing. It earned us the respect of other universities, and I’m very proud of that. I wrote the history of both of the conferences so that people would know how they began—again this is my interest in history. I should teach a history class! Academically, winning the IEEE Outstanding Teaching Award in 2023 was great and I’m proud that Ivan Puchades, a former student and now an RIT engineering faculty member, nominated me for that. I’ve also been involved in the funding and creation of three different RIT scholarship awards for our microelectronic engineering students, and I’d like to start some more. What will you be doing in retirement? Helping coach my grandkids’ soccer teams. I’ll be doing some gardening, woodworking, I like wood carving and getting back into kayaking. I haven’t done much but now will be able to get out more and do this. I’ll have more time to ride my bike—if my knee still works—those old soccer injuries. I live in Henrietta and will probably still be on campus, I can’t seem to stay away.
