When It's Time To Change

Yes, I am probably the only academic that would use a clip of the Brady Bunch as an intro to a blog post about a new position.  But I am pretty giddy, as Carleton University's Normal Paterson School of International Affairs [NPSIA] has given me an offer I cannot refuse: the Paterson Chair in International Affairs!  Consequently, my family and I will be moving to Ottawa next summer!

I will miss the students at McGill, who have always been phenomenal.  The future of the political science department at McGill is mighty bright as the department has been hiring great people since the year they hired me (not that I include myself in the category of great people).*  The place will be amazing once these folks take over.

* The run of great hires begins with Stuart and Dietlind ....

The position at Carleton is attractive for many reasons, including the chance to work more on policy issues, to teach students who will move onto government positions,** to work with really sharp folks who are studying some of the issues that really interest me, and to be in closer proximity to decision-makers.  Plus the endowed chair.

** McGill students do that, too, but our classes are not designed to help them so much as they are more focused on producing more professors.

While I will miss Montreal's ultimate community, proximity to skiing and the comedy festival, we look forward to Ottawa's vibrant ultimate community (it is huge), lower taxes, more functional government (I don't know much about it, but it is not Quebec), the ability to send our daughter to public schools in English, better infrastructure, and living closer to campus (everything is closer in Ottawa with much less traffic).

It is hard to believe that we will have lived in Montreal for ten years, longer than any other place I have lived (I spent summers from 3rd-12th grade away from home, so the tiebreaker goes Mtl).  We made a lot of great friends, had much fun, and really learned a lot about many things, including poutine, comedy, skiing, ultimate, food, language politics, separatism, federalism, and much more.  We outlasted two elderly dogs, two office computers (stolen), two cars (stolen, bus crashed), but not the provincial liberals (thankfully, despite how lame they are).

I want to thank all the folks who supported us through the years here, whether it was neighbors looking after our place while we sojourned south, or ultimate players tolerating my bad defense and  catching my hucks, or associate professors who had my back, or various party throwers over the years.  I found Montreal incredibly welcoming, and I will not be as gleeful to have it in my rearview mirror as I was when Lubbock was in our rearview mirror.

The nice thing about the 21st century is that leaving town means less than it used to do so as we are connected via blogs, twitter, and facebook.  And I will only be a couple of hours down the road if anyone needs a handler who plays lousy D; a random lecture to 600 students; or help in testing various beers.