I received news yesterday that I have been promoted to full Professor.

For those of you not in academia, this is the highest faculty rank, one that has as much to do with endurance (usually you are not eligible until 13 years or so after you started) as with achievement.

The title is more wieldy (less unwieldy?) than my now former title of Associate Professor... and I get a raise. Otherwise, the pile of administrivia remains on my desk and my writing obligations still weigh as heavy on my mind as before.

For those of you in academia, you know that this is a little anticlimactic, as it represents the end of a process that moves at the speed of icebergs, Mummers parades, and academic publishing. I spent much of last August and September putting together my dossier, which I submitted in October, and since then it has gone through a series of approvals by various committees and administrators. Yesterday the Board of Trustees finally signed off and it was official.

The process itself was, I'm glad to say, drama free. I received a lot of support in the process from various colleagues inside and outside of USciences, particularly from my Dean. There were no politics to negotiate or other stumbling blocks. I consider myself fortunate in that respect, and it reflects well on the university.

And finally, this calls for imbibing expensive booze, having an elegant dinner, and otherwise taking advantage of the occasion to celebrate.