Wow!

I've had a PhD since 2013 and a faculty position since 2014. I get good teaching reviews, and my students, for the most part, like and respect me. I got a very positive 4th year review. And yet, today I think I received my most startling and unexpected compliment of all.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers doesn't have a chapter in Fairbanks, since we don't have a lot of manufacturing. We have a chapter of ASHRAE though, which encompasses HVAC engineers. So I've joined the monthly meetings. There are cool tours and talks, and the food is tasty at the hotel where they meet. One of my former students, who is now the Fairbanks ASHRAE chapter president, asked if I could give a talk, so I said, "sure", but wondered what I, a former design engineer and now a teaching faculty, could possibly talk about HVAC. So I thought I'd talk about heat management with regards to renewable energy. It seemed relevant enough.

After my talk, I was cc'ed on this email:

Thank you for attending the presentation on “Renewable to Thermal Energy in Alaska” by Daisy Huang on February 21st, 2019. I certify as president of the Fairbanks section of ASHRAE that this presentation qualifies as 0.5 Professional Development Hour (PDH) related to HVAC technology and industry education. I further certify this event was attended by: [list of names redacted]

Please retain this email as proof of professional engineering continuing education with the State of Alaska.

Y'all. Listening to me talk, and enduring my puns, gets you professional development credit in the State of Alaska.

Sometimes I ask myself, what is that winterized automobile? And I find myself in an awesome cabin, with a handsome husband, and adorable dogs, and I ask myself, Well... how did I get here??