Ken Friedman catching up...letter and catalog excerpts

Dear Friend,

With regret, I observe that I owe letters to most everyone I know. This
is a quick catch-up and an apology for my long silence.

At the beginning of 2008, I moved to Melbourne, Australia, to take up a
dean’s post at Swinburne University of Technology. While I expected
changes to my life, I have been astonished to discover just how many
changes my new life involved. The most significant is a change in tempo
and focus. My life as a professor focused my own research and teaching.
My current life is dedicated to ensuring that others have the resources
for their teaching and research. I expected the change: as researchers,
we suit ourselves; as deans, we serve others. What I did not expect was
the enormous shift in time – I’ve known deans and even a vice
chancellor or two who find the time for their research while helping to
manage a university. I’m still seeking the appropriate balance. Most
deans hold managerial roles before taking on this job. I moved directly
to a dean's role from a life in research and writing....

...As a very late greeting, I’m attaching a catalog to my 2009
exhibition, 99 Events. I planned to send it out two years ago in the
letter I never wrote.

Easter greetings and best regards,

Ken

Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS Distinguished University Professor
Dean, Faculty of Design Swinburne University of Technology
Melbourne, Australia