Giving birth and nourishing, making without possessing, expecting nothing in return. To grow, yet not to control: This is the mysterious virtue.
- Lao Tzu
I use to think we were built by our mentors. One day I realized, mine never tried to “make” me into anything. They simply saw me for who I was before I recognized it yet. This is what our lab aims to do. We do not build idols to ourselves. We recognize greatness inherent in each team member that has yet to be realized. We do it by imitating the giants whose shoulders we now stand on.
Below are stories that shifted these giants’ paths.
Take care and learn from each. Consider how none is straight - each path takes unexpected turns that were not chosen but were walked, none the less.
The Dreamer
H. Criss Hartzell, PhD
I once saw Criss bring a circular saw into lab, proceed towards his office, and cut his desk in half. It seemed a bit insane, but this was not the first strangely wonderful thing I had seen him do over the years. Criss told me that the end he cut off separated him from colleagues that came to visit and chat about lovely ideas. To him sitting behind a desk - separated from those he viewed as his equal - impeded their discussions. So, it had to go.
победитель, The Overcomer
Leonid V. Chernomordik, PhD
Leonya and I had so much fun coming up with lovely ideas, building collaborations, and telling jokes that it still amazes me that we ever actually got any work done. Leonid is so marked by success and endless humor that you would hardly recognize the sort of persecution he has endured or the fact he had to rebuild his career after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Leonya’s patience and willingness to see the best in others - despite their many faults - far surpasses that of any person I have met and something I deeply hope to cultivate in my own life.
The Healer
Michael T. Collins, MD
Mike and I have always had a wonderful time getting into some sort of “trouble”. It is rare to find a person he does not already know. This stems from this immutable quality Mike has of treating every person he comes into contact with as interesting - someone worthy of love and care. In a career path that sees many amass influence and power, I’m not sure I have met anyone as willing to give both away to benefit the careers of other.