Harvard-educated professor kills colleagues

(Photo from cnn.com)

(Photo from nytimes.com)

I am so disturbed by reading about the Harvard-educated professor at UAH who shot six of her colleagues, killing three of them. Cnn.com reports that she had recently been denied tenor. My heart goes out to the victims' families, the students, the professors, and the other community members. Lately I have been so aware of how a life can change immediately and unexpectedly. Another thing that disturbs me is that she did this after being recently denied tenure. As someone who plans to work as a professor, I see the dissertation as one of the last significant hurdles in my academic career and I see "getting tenure" as one of the last significant hurdles in a professor's career. I constantly see examples of people in academia who are dedicated and devoted to their career. Although I admire hard work and dedication, this incident is a reminder of the importance of having balance. When a career milestone becomes so important that something like this happens, it becomes clear that balance and a healthy mind is so important. I am reminded to keep balance and perspective in my life. I am also reminded to seek help from a mental health professional if I realize that I am having trouble balancing on my own. And yes... Mental health professional seek help, too.