F.R. "Fritz" Nordengren, MPH

Previously in my blog, I have described the flooding in Villahermoa and how similar it was to the Iowa floods of ’93. The 2008 flooding has surpassed the ’93 levels, and Cedar Rapids is suffering quite a bit. An opportunity exists for a graduate student to visit Cedar Rapids and see how the health care infrastructure ins responding – a free clinic is expecting numerous patients with a variety of health complaints, and a hospital had a vertical evacuation prior to the flood water crest.

Then, visit our project in Villahermosa, a city similar in size to Des Moines, and se the after effects nearly a year after their floods in November.

I was listening to NPR this morning and with every few stories, I was struck by an opportunity….an idea. and I started jotting them down mentally in my head. It occurred to me that many of us, especially those whoa re creative, have ideas that escape us, if we aren’t methodical about journaling them, or sharing them with others, they are like a butterfly that lights on a bloom for a moment, and then disappears with the wind.

So I’ve decided to crate a category on my blog for ideas. ANything you read is free and available for your use – it would be awesome if you wanted to share or build upon it via comments or links to your own blog.

Nearing the end of my MPH program, I asked a question of several people: Should I have a dual MPH MHA degrees, or should I pursue a doctorate? Unanimously, the answer was Doctorate.

And that began a search and review of a number of possible doctorate programs which led me to Walden University and my chosen Doctorate in Educational Technology.

I was accepted in January and have now complete two weeks of my first course: an orientation to PhD programs which focuses on writing a learning agreement which will guide my studies. So I’ve made a new category in the blog and added a new photo: there is something just — or ironic– about a guy who builds a cabin by himself going to a school named “Walden”.

The photo is taken from the deck during a break in my writing Saturday morning.