It’s been a while since I reported in last. Reflecting upon the past few weeks and months, I can really say it: wow.

As a first-year faculty member in a large engineering department, inside of a large and research-intensive university, my experience is pretty much as I expected—truly overwhelming. There are times that I feel almost crushed by the weight of too much of a good thing. I’m now directing a huge project in which students to design, build, and operate a solar powered home. I’ve met so many interesting people from all of the diverse components of the project: fundraising, integrated design, solar energy conversion, communications between colleges and university offices to arrange a University-wide effort, and even the occasional meeting with a Dean.

I’m also developing an upper-level course in solar energy conversion, with an emphasis on photovoltaics (most solar courses are focused on solar thermal processes). I love teaching, but I love teaching my passions even more (what a kick). My basic research in thin film materials is also progressing with student pursuing a PhD, and I’ll be co-advising another student in relation to environmental technologies in manufacturing. Coming up this summer, I’ll have yet another student joining our lab to study energy system modeling, and I expect to collaborate with a colleague to look into the economics of PV in this wildly expanding niche. Did I mention I’m the faculty advisor for the nascent Energy Club in our department, and responsible for growing our numbers by recruiting? Too much of a good thing?

I look at it this way: I’m my own business and CEO, making my own strategic deals and decisions that will either strengthen or weaken my future with the University and Department. As this is the time of flux and establishing yourself, it’s pretty much impossible to do everything that is required slowly. You either do too much in one position and you’re stressed and tired, but doing what you want (as I’ve said, you may have too much of what you want, in fact), or you do too little in another work environment and you’re horribly dissatisfied at the thought of being underused. Such is my perspective on things, in any event. And yet, would I want to do it any other way? Not a chance.