Tim E Aldrich

Molehills, Icebergs, and Butterfly Wings Tim E Aldrich

I am retired now [2020], and living in North Carolina. I have three children and six grandchildren. The writing of this memoir has been a pleasant and gentle task. Much of my career I was engaged in cancer research, and teaching. I am very proud of my accomplishments and treasure my recollection of people and events. I have a doctoral degree in Epidemiology from the University of Texas School of Public Health; my doctoral minors were environmental toxicology and biostatistics. These specializations reflect my interest for environmental carcinogenesis, and my fascination with cancer clusters [the theme of the antecedent memoir]. I worked at four Comprehensive cancer centers, three Regional cancer centers and was the founding director of the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry. My research was funded by a wide variety of federal, state and private sources. I authored two textbooks, 77 book chapters and monographs, and 75 professional journal articles. Teaching has been a passion for me, and has enriched my professional life, greatly. I taught at nine universities [six were Schools of Public Health]. I was a designated lecturer for seven other universities in the US and abroad. In my academic role, I advised 103 Masters-level students and 36 doctoral candidates. This memoir is a rambling recollection of my professional activities, endeavors and experiences, specifically beyond cancer cluster investigations. As with my earlier memoir, I include a variety of humorous anecdotes, and 'side-bar, ' personal observations. I hope that you may enjoy reading this account, and come to understand much more fully that an epidemiologist is NOT a skin doctor. You may also learn why I thank God for His many blessings of my career.