alumni – David Kotz

Lapland

Northern Finland – Sami culture, reindeer, dogsleds, and more.

After our day in Helsinki (Finland) and our day in Tallinn (Estonia), we hopped on a Finnair flight to the northern tip of Finland – specifically, to the tiny town of Saariselkä, where one can downhill ski at the northern-most lift-skiing resort in the world, cross-country ski on an extensive trail network, explore reindeer farms, experience dogsledding, and more. We stayed four nights at the “Northern Lights Village,” a delightful resort in the middle of all these delightful opportunities. Read on, and check out the photo gallery for more!

David skied on nordic skis to the summit of Saariselkä, Finland.

Tallinn

Dartmouth Alumni Travel to Finland.

While our group was based in Helsinki, Finland (see prior post), we took a long day trip across the Baltic Sea to visit the medieval heart of the city of Tallinn, now the capital of Estonia. What a delightful place! Read on and check out the gallery.

Our group entering the old town of Tallinn, Estonia.

Helsinki

Dartmouth Alumni Travel to Finland.

I had the pleasure of joining an Alumni Travel group for a week in Finland; we visited Helsinki (Finland) and Tallinn (Estonia) before heading north of the Arctic Circle to the northern tip of Finland, where we could enjoy one last burst of winter and hope to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). We had a great group of guests – alumni from Dartmouth College, Tufts University, and the College of William and Mary – all led by the indefatigable local guide, Hanna. I was the faculty leader (common on alumni trips), offering academic lectures twice during the trip. It was a wonderful trip – read on and check out the first gallery of photos!

Duke CS at 50

Fifty years of history.

I was pleased to spend the past couple of days at Duke University to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of its Department of Computer Science. It was a fun opportunity to visit my PhD alma mater, to visit with some of my former professors and classmates, and to hear from some of the impressive alumni of this venerable department.

I was a student of the department from 1986-91, when it was a much smaller and younger department – less than a third of its history had passed when I arrived as a new student. During five years there I deepened my knowledge of computer science, developed into a computing professional, and formed lasting friendships with students and faculty alike. I also met my wife while there; this weekend, we toured some of our old haunts and homes in Durham and Chapel Hill; only one of our homes is still standing, and it looks exactly the same today as it did when we lived there 33 years ago. Lovely to be back!