First one of the three inaugural lectures by our new professors

I knew what to do for Valentine's Day! Last year, three of my marvellous colleagues were promoted to Professor, and this year at some point it was announced one of them but do her an overall lecture on that very day. I immediately put it in my diary. I wanted to be there! This was my colleague Yueng, and I am very fond of her, but I also wanted to be there when the first female professor in the school in years would be inaugurated. When I arrived at the school, we actually did have the only female professor it had ever had: Hilary, but she retired after a while. (It's how I ended up with the dissertation module.) And then nothing happened for a long time.

In my time here, many men have become professors, but the previous vice-chancellor (and I think also the one before that) wasn't in favour of inaugural lectures. Now that we have the current one, it seems that inaugural lectures are back on!

She was introduced by the Pro-VC for Science and Engineering. Also a female professor! But in the School of Environmental and Natural Sciences. And then Yueng took the stage. 

Yueng being introduced by Morag

She spoke of her research in the Arctic Ocean. She also works in other areas in the world; her latest scientific cruise was in the vicinity of South Africa. But now she was talking about the warm water that is present in the subsurface of the Arctic ocean, and all the various processes that can bring it up to the surface. If it does, that can cause unfortunate situations with vanishing sea ice and changing atmospheric patterns.

She did all that, of course, with her usual panache. She does everything like that! And then it was over and there was time for questions. And then we retreated to the foyer for coffee and brownies.

I knew that Yueng would fly out to a conference early the next morning, so I knew she wasn't going to linger. And quite a lot of other people didn't want to linger either. I had a small chat with some colleagues, and one of the students, and then I left as well. I was glad I had come but I didn't think there was the sense of occasion the situation merited. I don't think my colleagues saw it is as much a big thing as I did. Apart from Yueng herself, there were only four members of academic staff! And we have almost 30. Oh well! It was a great presentation. And let's just hope there is a bit more enthusiasm from colleagues next time in April, when it is the turn of my colleague Katrien! And even if there isn't, I will be there. Hurray for our new professors!