What's your biggest fear?

My biggest fear is that something will happen to harm one of my children. They are all over 20, but as a mother, I will probably never stop being concerned about their welfare.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

I was recently promoted to a faculty position (lecturer), which means that I now get to attend faculty meetings. This is very interesting, because I learn things that are not necessarily discussed throughout the department. On the first meeting I attended, surrounded by high powered professors I respect a lot, several of us junior faculty had to leave the meeting before a vote we weren't privy to. And as I got up to leave, I dropped my glass coffee mug and needed to scoop up the broken glass as i made a hasty retreat!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?

I feel very fortunate to be living in the Pacific Northwest, and I wouldn't choose to live anywhere else except here or on the west coast of British Columbia. We're surrounded by natural beauty here and by people who value their environment as well as the other people who live here.

What is the craziest moment you've seen during Upward Bound this year?

Hmm, our moments have all been pretty sane--I guess you could count the moment when one group of students asked me if I could bring a moose for their final project--not sure what they need it for!

What sea animal would you want to be?

I would like to be a sea otter, because it is one mammal whose numbers are increasing, at least in some areas.