The first day is almost here - I really can't believe it. The journey started so long ago. I gave up so many times, but each time, I went back. I'm blogging because I used to search endlessly as a student to learn more about the life of a professor. For those like myself when I was a student, I'll make sure to give updates regularly. If I had to say one thing it'd be, "its all worth it".  

Thank you so much Dr. Comez; I will forever remember the day you came to my class. Thank you too Dr. Azoff - I better see you before you leave this place (I know that comment will make you smile). Thank you very much to my advisor, wife and mom - also to my uncle that I call almost every day. Don't worry Aunt Creshona, I will never forget - thank you for telling me to write things down. Great thank you as well to Oklahoma City University for choosing me - oh, this is going to be good!

I'm loving my new home. Everything is great and has been very convenient for me. My wife and 2 little ones are happy - my mom and little brother as well. I'm really excited to bring my little brother on campus and have him meet the basketball team. Teaching is going well - I love the students. Today we all laughed at a current "meme" I learned about. I loved seeing their excitement after doing well on the first homework. The sun in Oklahoma is a great source of energy - it brightens my day each time I go out. Lately I've been playing basketball at Vasa Fitness, getting mentorship from a 21 year veteran at OKC,  dancing with my daughter and watching movies with my wife. The athletic calendar is about to begin and I'm excited! I'm also excited about planning and Halloween event on campus - I need to keep brainstorming. Research is something I need to make sure to do daily - starting tomorrow and I promise. Well, that's all, but message me if you want to chat - see you in a few weeks with another update.

Hey! I know, it's been a little while. Everything is going well. The students are taking their first exam, I'm applying for a big NSF fellowship, and research is getting back into gear. I've also been searching online for virtual topology seminars - I don't know why it didn't occur to me to do this before. 

This semester I'm doing individual testing, and so far, the students are loving it. It gives me a chance to work with them 1-on-1, and I get to see a smiling face when I hand back their exam grades - "I don't know why you were so nervous...you got a [insert grade]!". I've been saying this all week and in the silliest way I can. I'm so happy they're doing well 🙂. 

The NSF fellowship is definitely out of my reach, but I have some good ideas for its use - if not this year, I'll keep trying. With respect to research, I'm beginning to see how to work on things that are at my level - topological manifolds is where I'm currently planting my feet - thank you Paul (Paul Halmos that is). Revisiting my dissertation and publishing items from it is my goal. 

Well, that's all for now! Next time you hear from me, I'll be doing martial arts again!

Wow! Okay, it's definitely been some time now. A lot has happened. I gave that talk at OSU and it actually went okay - I got to meet Robert Gompf's student as well - that was really cool. I got to meet his graduate student too - it reminded of the days with my advisor... time flies. I've been re-learning my field as Terry Tao says - differential geometry, riemannian geometry and concepts in low dimensional topology. 

I'm currently working on a research problem - in Paul Halmos' book, I read that his chair (when Paul was a graduate student) would just have 20 hrs of research per week...he's definitely beating me - I need to step it up. Teaching-wise, all is well. I'm very happy that my items are now made (for 2 classes) and that my students are doing well - we made it!

I still haven't found a MMA gym, but my mind has been on other needs. I have a list of things to take care of before I get into that world again - as well as being a basketball coach. The semester is at its near. Today I met the president; that was an experience. I've got a long way to go, but I have God, my family and my health - we're good.