Carat Juice readers will have noted a hiatus recently. This GEM website blog entry represents the totality of my GEM Director’s Commentary for the year 2014. Let me explain.
Sometimes bad things happen, with a silver lining. After I survived cancer (non-Hodgkins T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma) in 2008, I subsequently continued important, satisfying GEM work in watershed management, sustainable energy systems, indigenous knowledge for sustainability, and permaculture. Our success and relevance was a GEM team effort including my wife and senior scientist, Dr. Mai Phillips, administrative specialist Brent Wiersma, web/information technology specialist Eric Semling, and consultants Drs. Wes and Karen Halverson, along with many external partners and collaborators. As the 2008 global recession tightened its grip and external grant funds dried up, we completed high quality applied research and outreach objectives of existing projects still in the pipeline. For example, the successful 2009 GEM International Seminar on Watershed Management in Mexico, GEM Permaculture Design Certificate courses in 2009 and 2010, and the 2011 GEM Wingspread Conference on Indigenous Knowledge for Sustainability—the Red Path towards an Evergreen Society. We invested good, hard work and significant time in developing new applied research proposals in 2012 and 2013, but none of these compelling projects was selected for funding. Without the lifeblood of external grants and contracts (GEM is entirely self-supported, never having received any UWSP or State funds since its inception), the dedicated GEM staff had to be released after existing grant contracts were completed. The good news: Mai was hired as Conservation and Environmental Sciences Program Coordinator at UW-Milwaukee where she has excelled since 2008; Brent continues implementing and practicing permaculture on his Moondance Meadows farm in Scandinavia, WI; Eric was employed as a web designer/front-end developer in Wausau, WI and started a family; and Wes and Karen are enjoying grandchildren in their retirement. Life is good.
Just as I was looking forward to hosting a Mexican university colleague in Milwaukee to collaborate on a community-based climate change project, another jolt occurred. In 2013, a summertime bout of pneumonia revealed another insidious, life-threatening cancer (acute myeloid leukemia). After undergoing intensive chemotherapy throughout the fall, I entered Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee to complete a bone marrow transplant in December 2013. In a compromised immune condition, unfortunately I contracted a severe bacterial infection (Staphylococcus epidermis) during my hospitalization, which dissolved more than two thoracic-lumbar vertebrae. This necessitated extensive surgeries to remove the infection, install a metal structure in place of the missing vertebrae, and anchor it to non-infected parts of my backbone with metal rods and screws. Subsequently, my ongoing post-bone marrow monitoring and treatments, including graft vs. host disease, as well as back physical therapy and slow recovery precluded any GEM work. I have been on medical disability leave of absence since March 2014. My ultimate prognosis and return to work are yet to be determined by my medical team.
More silver lining: the overwhelming, heartfelt well wishes by GEM colleagues, partners around the world, former students, friends, neighbors, and of course, family are a tremendous blessing. You have sustained me throughout this latest health challenge for a second chance at life. Know that I greatly appreciate your kind thoughts and caring words for recovery. In the meantime, thank you for your longstanding, steadfast support of the GEM mission. I hope to be back in the saddle at some point, in the dawn of yet another new day.
Onward,
Prof. Victor D. Phillips, GEM Director
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