Latest Posts

Dec 12, 2022

Final Thoughts

The past two years have provided me with a wonderful opportunity to teach and conduct research in Finland under the support of Fulbright Finland, the Saastamoinen Foundation, the University of Finland-Kuopio School of Pharmacy and Toxicology Program, and North Carolina State University. I’ve been very fortunate to have been given these opportunities. I am indebted… 

Dec 12, 2022

Helsinki (December 9-10)

We traveled back to Helsinki in order to catch our flights home. The Helsinki area had a fair amount of snow – indeed it rivaled or exceeded what we found in the Ivalo area. Overall, our vacation together was enjoyable and the boy’s introduction to Finland met (and maybe exceeded) their expectations. It’s unknown how… 

Dec 12, 2022

Nellim Finland (December 6-9)

We arrived in Ivalo in early evening and took a shuttle bus to our hotel in Nellim. This was Melanie and my third visit to the Ivalo/Nellim area. Our goal was to provide the boys with a chance to try a variety of winter sports including snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and dog sledding. We also were hopeful… 

Dec 12, 2022

Tallinn Estonia (December 4-6)

We spent a few days in Tallinn exploring the old city and the Seaplane Harbour Museum. Melanie and I had previously visited Tallinn and felt it would provide a different cultural and architectural experience for the two boys. We also enjoyed a traditional Christmas-season lunch at the museum (e.g., blood sausage among other items). Visiting… 

Dec 12, 2022

Helsinki (December 1-3)

I left Kuopio on 1 December and headed by train down to Helsinki. My two sons (Robert and William) and my wife Melanie arrived on 2 December. Melanie had been to Finland several times before including earlier this year when we toured the country using a rental car. However, my sons had never been to… 

Dec 12, 2022

Travelogues

I grew up in Southeastern Wisconsin – where my father was a family practitioner. His one man practice was on the second floor above the Canteen Pharmacy which was owned by two brothers. One of whom was our next door neighbor growing up (the other lived a few houses down the street). The other occupant… 

Nov 30, 2022

Last Full Day at UEF

Today was my last full day at the University of Eastern Finland. The day started with a light snowfall: Followed by a going away party celebrating my last day here at UEF. These past few weeks have been highlighted by several colleagues inviting me to their homes to share a meal and spend a few… 

Nov 26, 2022

Winter is Coming

My time here in Kuopio and at the University of Eastern Finland will be coming to an end soon. I don’t know exactly where the last month has gone. These past few days have seen fewer hours of sunlight and temperatures that remain below freezing. Snow has been intermittent and the local lakes are starting… 

Nov 26, 2022

Thanksgiving in Helsinki (Visit to Parliament)

On Friday the Fulbright Finland Foundation arranged for a luncheon with two members of the Finnish Parliament at the Parliament Building in Helsinki. We also received a tour and were able to sit in on a session of the Parliament while they held several votes. The members of Parliament were Mats Lofstrom who is the… 

Nov 26, 2022

Thanksgiving in Helsinki (Dinner)

Fulbright Finland working with the current Fulbright Bicentennial Chair in American Studies, David Witwer hosted a potluck Thanksgiving meal at his residence. Approximately 35 people joined together to celebrate the holiday. Dr. Witwer is a professor of American Studies at Penn State University and is spending this year teaching at the University of Helsinki. Dinner included all… 

Nov 26, 2022

Thanksgiving in Helsinki (Fazer Experience Visitor Centre)

I spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Helsinki joining the staff of the Fulbright Finland Foundation (FFF) and fellow Fulbrighters for the holiday. Thursday started with a visit to the Fazer Experience Visitor Centre in Vantaa. This is a large multinational company that was founded in Helsinki in 1891 by Karl Fazer. Together with his wife… 

Nov 22, 2022

Science Diplomacy

The Fulbright Finland Foundation hosted a 90-minute dialogue yesterday (NOV 21) between Fulbright Finland grantees and Pekka Haavisto, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs. The discussions we had were wide ranging and covered numerous topics including climate change and other pressing global challenges, indigenous people, pandemic response, effective communication of science to the public, among other… 

Nov 22, 2022

Postgraduate Chemical Risk Assessment Course

On Friday and Saturday (NOV 18-19) we held the postgraduate chemical risk assessment course. This activity was the focal point of my current Fulbright grant and this course has been in development for well over a year, Each day of the course had a full slate of 45 minute lectures covering contemporary issues in chemical… 

Nov 22, 2022

KalPa Hockey

I had the opportunity to attend one of the local hockey games here in Kuopio (KalPa versus KooKoo). The visitors team came from Kouvola. Both teams play in the  first level of Finnish ice hockey league Liiga. The Kalpa team did win (5-3) in a hard fought and well played game. KalPa has a double… 

Nov 12, 2022

Happy Father’s Day Weekend

Finland celebrates Father’s Day on November 13th this year. Mother’s Day was held May 14th. Happy Father’s Day to all my Finnish colleagues who are dads. This past week has been overcast with off an on rain. I’ve had multiple lectures in the toxicologic pathology course here at UEF. I’ve enjoyed the interactions with the… 

Nov 6, 2022

First Snow November 6, 2022

I woke up to my first snow while in Finland this winter. It’s a light dusting that won’t last very long today. But, it is a hopeful harbinger of things to come. I took a short walk today to enjoy the brisk Sunday morning. Now it’s back to work. 

Nov 5, 2022

Neulamäki Nature Preserve

I woke up this morning (NOV 5) to a chilly (30°F) overcast day with a light drizzle. My goal was to explore the Neulamäki Nature Preserve which is a few km southwest of where I am staying at the university. The Preserve has several trails including one that circles a small hill that dominates the… 

Nov 5, 2022

Kuopio Again – South African Scientist Meet and Greet

I returned back to Kuopio just before Halloween. I am here for the second, and last leg, of my Fulbright grant. I’ll be teaching once again at the University of Eastern Finland )UEF) in their Master’s degree program in toxicology. I’ll also be providing a two-day continuing education course for Nordic toxicologists. The next two… 

Jun 2, 2022

2675 km

We’ve made it back to Helsinki and have completed our tour of Central Finland. We’ve managed to put on 2675 km on the rental car and have enjoyed every single kilometer of travel. We’ve enjoyed seeing the countryside as Spring has taken hold. We are left with wonderful memories and a few mysteries. For example,… 

Jun 2, 2022

Saimaa ringed seal (Saimaannorppa)

We started off the month of June by staying in Imatra near Lake Saimaaa which is Finland’s largest lake. The lake has its own archipelago with hundreds of small islands dotting the lake. The attraction for us was an opportunity to see the Saimaa ringed seal which is a highly endangered freshwater seal. There are… 

Jun 2, 2022

Lions, Tigers, and Bears oh my (at least the last one)…

When I finished my last blog entry we were in the Jakobstad region. This proved to be as far north as we went this trip. On May 30th we started heading eastward and had a lunch stop at Salamajärvi National Park. This park is known for having reindeer, but we were unable to find any… 

May 29, 2022

1000+ km

We’ve crossed the 1000 km mark today in our travels. Today’s road trip took us from Närpes to Jakobstad. Along the way we took a detour to Svedjehamn which is a small fishing village in the Kvarken archipelago. The Kvarken Archipelago is situated in the Gulf of Bothnia which is a northern extension of the… 

May 28, 2022

Archipelago

We made it from Helsinki to Nagu (Pargas) which is in Southwestern Finland. According to Wikipedia: “The Nagu archipelago is part of the world’s largest brackish water archipelago with 100 000 islands, islets and skerries in Sweden, Finland and Estonia”. We spent two days exploring the local area and taking full advantage of the free… 

May 26, 2022

Tallinn, Estonia

Melanie and I have spent the past few days in Tallinn, Estonia to attend the joint meeting of the Finnish and Estonian Societies of Toxicology meeting. The meeting was held at the Hotel Viru which was constructed in 1972. At the time it was built it was used primarily by foreign visitors to Estonia. Since… 

May 23, 2022

Vanhankaupunginlahti (bay of the old town) and Vanhankaupunginkoski (rapids in the old town)

I’ve spent the past two days (May 21 and 22nd) exploring the Vanhankaupunginlahti area. This is a large nature preserve located a few kilometers northeast of Helsinki’s city center. The reserve is an important protected wetland with extensive marshes marked by tall reed habitats with small areas of open water. The rapids have both eastern… 

May 23, 2022

Departing Kuopio

I left Kuopio on Saturday (May 21st) after completing my first of two one-month long stays associated with my Fulbright grant. The second visit will come later this year in November. My last week in Kuopio was busy and included the Fulbright reception in Helsinki, completing the systematic review course, and attending a seminar given… 

May 18, 2022

Finnish Baseball

I had the opportunity to catch part of a Finnish baseball game (Pesäpallo). The game is played on an artificial surface and is the national sport of Finland. I found this to be a bit surprising given the Finn’s love for hockey. The game only vaguely resembles US baseball. The bases are laid out in… 

May 18, 2022

Porkkalanniemi and Porkkala National Park

On Monday, I rented a car and drove out to Porkkalanniemi which is a peninsula in the Gulf of Finland about 25 miles west of Helsinki. There is a Finnish naval base on the peninsula and at various times it had a coastal artillery unit. Between 1944 and 1956 it was under the control of… 

May 17, 2022

Fulbright Finland Awards Ceremony and Reception – Helsinki

I spent tonight (May 17th) at the Helsinki City Hall enjoying a ceremony and reception held by Fulbright Finland honoring in part the 70th anniversary of the Fulbright Finland program. The award ceremony acknowledges the thirty or more Finnish Fulbright awardees that will spend part of the upcoming year in the United States. Speakers included… 

May 14, 2022

Spring has Arrived

Seemingly overnight Spring arrived here in Kuopio. I started out the day checking on the progress made by a pair of great crested grebes on their nest. I doubt I’ll see the little ones (dabchicks) while I am here. The grebes were joined by several mallards, goosanders, teals, and a pair of wigeons. I noticed… 

May 10, 2022

Karelia #2 (Wolverines)

I spent about 36 hours in the photography hide over the two days I spent in Karelia. The vast majority of that time was spent being hyper vigilant to any movement that could indicate a wolverine was nearby. That vigilance was finally rewarded on several occasions. Each sighting involved a single animal briefly visiting the… 

May 9, 2022

Karelia #1 (Photography hide and Koli)

I rented a car and headed east towards the Lieksa area in Karelia. Karelia was a former Finnish province that is now divided between Finland and Russia. My goal was to spend two days in a photography hide near Hattuvaara. A local company (Era Eero) rents a number of photography hides both in the forest… 

May 9, 2022

Waterhole revisited

It’s early May and up until this past weekend the ice on the lake remained. I was away for the past few days and over the weekend it rained. When I returned to Kuopio on May 8th the lake was free of ice. It’s nice to see Spring slowly arrive here, but it may be… 

May 4, 2022

Gravel

Morning came early today (0430) to the sounds of industrial sized “leaf blowers” that were being used right outside my apartment window (I’m on the ground floor). They were being used to blow loose gravel from the lawn onto the sidewalk. This was followed by a large sweeper with a metal roller brush and vacuum… 

May 1, 2022

Vappu Part 2 (May 1)

I decided to go for an extended walk today to celebrate May Day. The day started out with a quick visit to the water hole where a different species of ducks (Eurasian widgeon) showed up. I walked over to a nearby island (Savisaari) with a connecting road to the mainland. There was a stable and… 

May 1, 2022

Vappu (Part 1) April 30th

This weekend is special here in Finland as the country celebrates May Day (Vappu). Traditional ways to celebrate include special foods and drink including Sima (fermented lemonade), donuts, sausage, and potatoes. Yesterday I had the opportunity to travel with one of my colleagues, Risto Juvonen, to visit his hometown and share a lunch with him… 

Apr 28, 2022

“Waterhole”

It’s Thursday April 29th and I woke up to a relatively cold (around 23F/-5C) but clear morning close to day break at 0450. The days are getting longer with light remaining well past 9 pm. The UEF campus and much of Kuopio is near Lake Kallavesi which is one of Finland’s ten largest lakes. The… 

Apr 26, 2022

Why Kuopio?

A question that may come up is why did I pursue a Fulbright grant in Kuopio, Finland? Kuopio is located in Northern Savonia and has a population of approximately 125,000 inhabitants – making it one of the ten largest cities in Finland. One claim to fame is a local delicacy, Kalakukko, which is a local… 

Apr 23, 2022

Kuopio in early spring

I arrived back in Kuopio earlier today and I have begun settling in to the apartment that I’ll be using for the next month. The apartment is just down the hall from my office in the School of Pharmacy. My room itself is a bit spartan and there are two other apartments in the unit.… 

Apr 22, 2022

Return to Finland (2022)

I’m sitting at RDU (it’s Friday April 22nd) awaiting the start of a journey that will return me to Finland. I have been fortunate to be selected for the Fulbright-Saastamoinen Foundation Distinguished Chair in Health Sciences. This grant will allow me to teach a systematic review in toxicology course at the University of Eastern Finland…