Category: Personal and Goals

So I may have had a great adventure-filled weekend, but the real reason I’m back in town is for the Statistical Society of Canada’s (SSC) annual meeting. That’s right- a congregation of statisticians for three days of utter nerdery. Over time, I’ve moved away from the hard-core statistical theory and into data management and statistical programming, but every now and then I like to be reminded that I was once skilled in the area. I have never attended an SSC meeting, but what made this year’s conference very appealing is that it is occurring at my alma mater, the University of Guelph. It’s great to see former professors and friends that I haven’t seen in a long while!

The UofG will always be a special place. I spent 7 years here completing both my undergraduate and graduate degrees in statistics. I’ve walked through the University Centre countless times and crossed Branion Plaza and the cannon to get to my office in the MacNaughton building.  I felt quite nostalgic walking around campus today. It’s not that I would want to transplant my life back to Guelph, but there are so many great memories of this place. And the campus isn’t the same as it was back then. Many new or renovated buildings like Alexander Hall are now present, but the sentiments of the campus still run deep. There were many good times here. Oh Guelph… how I’ve missed you so… 🙂

The evening ended with an alumni dinner event, where it was great to chat with former professors and other past students. In addition to a great night of drinks and mingling, I finally had a famed Bob’s Dog! When I was a student, I knew that the hot dog vendor outside of the Bullring, Bob’s Dogs, was the place to go. I learned that everyone must try a Bob’s Dog at some point. Believe it or not, after 7 or so years studying at Guelph, I never had a sausage from Bob’s Dogs. Thankfully, Dr. Gary Umphrey arranged for Bob to provide the food, and I couldn’t be happier. I finally had a Bob’s Dog, and it was incredibly delicious! So much so, I had two. And I was so impressed that I had to have my photo taken with Bob himself! Another highlight of the night: seeing my former professor Dr. J.J. Hubert. I hadn’t seen him in ages, and both Dr. Hubert and Dr. Umphrey are responsible for introducing me to the topic of statistics when I was a young and eager undergraduate student 10 years ago. My career wouldn’t have been the same without their influence and support. Even though I didn’t manage to get a photo with them, I’ll always have the memories of this evening :). What a great way to start the SSC.