Follwing Christ 2008 and the Title of this Blog

This afternoon, I returned to Columbus from a blessed, though tiring, conference in Chicago entitled Following Christ. I have many tales to tell, lessons learned, and lessons yet to learn. I will need time to properly reflect upon, understand, and apply any part of what God had on display there.

However, I can share one very encouraging fact that I learned. According to one of the speakers in a parallel session on the Natural Sciences & Mathematics, the initial verses of Psalm 111 are inscribed above the entrance to the original Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. In English, those verses are the source of the title of this blog.

Upcoming Travel Plans

• Dec. 27-31: Following Christ 2008, Marriott Magnificent Mile, Chicago, IL
• Jan. 4-8: Apartment Shopping in Bloomington, IN

Merry Christmas to all...

Matthew 1:18-2:11

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel"

(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

"'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Luke 2:1-20

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

...and to all a good night.

Doctor (of Philosophy)

I am still not sure exactly when I became Dr. Corwin, but it was sometime between my Oral Defense on Oct. 20 and the commencement ceremony where I received my Ph.D. on Dec. 14. My mother, her sister, Kelly, and several other friends came to watch me and roughly 2,000 other students receive our diplomas. I was very touched and glad to have all of them present to celebrate this accomplishment. You can (barely) see me on slide 18 of this slide show.

The ceremony was quite long since all of the students in the University who graduated in Winter Quarter could receive their diplomas at this single ceremony. Only the Ph.D. graduates, including me, had their names called individually.

Three highlights from the ceremony stand out in my memory. One was several international students stopping when their names were read, presumably to make sure they were pronounced correctly. Another was, of course, receiving my doctoral hood, hearing my name called and receiving my diploma from President Gee. The third is a section of the commencement address that was given by Richard A. Hollingsworth, vice president for Student Life at Ohio State.

VP Hollingsworth reminded us that while we had earned our degrees, we had been given many opportunities and resources necessary to reach this point. He told us that those gifts brought much responsibility with them. He summarized the point by paraphrasing Jesus, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required" (Luke 12:48).

Guess the Object

I know the photograph is slightly out of focus, and I apologize. Still, I am seeking guesses as to what this object is. Those who guess correctly will win bragging rights and my appreciation. I will post the real answer on Jan. 10.

Postdoctoral Job Search Results

Applications Submitted: 27
Interviews: 6
Job Offers: 3
Offers Accepted: 1

The offer I accepted is for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Physics Department at Indiana University - Bloomington. I will be working in the neutrino group on MINOS and NOνA, officially starting on January 19th. That means I will be officially unemployed for 18 days, but after how hard I have worked for the past 5 years, that does not sound bad! Actually, I will continue working toward publishing the analysis on which my dissertation was based.

That's right, I am about to become a Hoosier and continue my academic tour of the Big Ten! I grew up in Wisconsin, received my undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota, and just earned my Ph.D. from The Ohio State University.

So, if anyone is willing to help me move to Bloomington, please let me know.

You are invited to my commencement ceremony.

Who: Luke A. Corwin (and many others)
What: Autumn Quarter Commencement at OSU
When: Dec. 14, 2pm
Where: Schottenstein Center ( http://www.schottensteincenter.com/ )
Why: To mark a significant achievement and milestone.
More Information: http://commencement.osu.edu/

I hope to see you there.

My Dissertation is now Online

For those who are interested, you can read it on OhioLINK.

Pittsburgh and Bloomington

Last Thursday (Thanksgiving) I was in a suburb of Pittsburgh known as North Braddock, PA to celebrate Thanksgiving with Kelly and her family. We had a very relaxing time; it was a good to rest and relax with each other after. Of course, we also had an excellent feast, including a turkey that benefited from a few broth injections prior to roasting.

Today, I turned in the final pieces of paperwork to graduate with my Ph.D and submitted my dissertation online. All that remains is to walk in the commencement ceremony on Dec. 14 at 2pm. You are all invited!

The postdoctoral job search continues. Tonight, I am in Bloomington, IN to give a seminar and meet with department members at Indiana University. I rented a car and drove it here. I plan to drive back to Columbus in time for the CGSA Christmas Party; my white elephant gift is wrapped and ready.