I have been very blessed to have a long run of 44 years as a faculty member and academic administrator at UVM. I have learned a great deal from my undergraduate and graduate students, and from a wide variety of faculty drawn from all corners of the University of Vermont. In my teaching, research and academic administrative programs, my actions, thoughts, and ideas have been guided by two principles, namely “Chance favors the optimist because the pessimist is unlikely to take a chance” and it is critical “To think logically and act compassionately.”
— Robert B. Lawson