Travis Beck was one of many people with whom I have become friends, despite never meeting face-to-face. I have made many friend through social media who I value greatly. Friendships and relationships come in many forms. I happened to connect with Travis through common research interests. It is actually hard to believe that I have known Travis for roughly 12 years and have never met. I am sure we have communicated more than a half a dozen times a year—usually many more (especially when he was helping me understand some challenging aspect of my research). I just checked my list, and Travis coauthored three scientific papers with me (a drop in the bucket compared to his total productivity), and he was instrumental in at least five more. Thanks to Travis, I appear a lot smarter than I am.
Travis was a guy who, despite teaching courses at the University of Oklahoma, mentoring graduate students, conducting research, publishing research, and making time for his new family, would always respond to my e-mails within hours. So, when he didn’t respond to my e-mail last week, I was concerned. Today, I learned, rightfully so. Travis died on February 26, 2017 of nodular melanoma—a brain tumor. I lost one of the best friends I never met.
I actually connected with Travis through a series of his former classmates from the University of Nebraska-Kearney (Tammy K Evetovich, Joel Cramer, Joe Weir, et al.) in response to what began as a simple question about accelerometers for mechanomyography. Travis and I were never actually able to connect at a professional conference or elsewhere, but I can honestly say there are few (including my own college professors) who taught or inspired me more. Travis not only helped set the course for my academic scholarship, he also set a powerful example for me as a person.
Travis showed me how to be selfless. While many researchers are protective of their knowledge (i.e., are not willing to share the spotlight scholastically), Travis went out of his way to be helpful. I learned to be supportive of aspiring researchers and academics. I learned to be more giving of my time and not expect anything in return.
Travis showed me how to work hard and expect much from my students—and myself. He spent the better part of a summer in 2011 teaching me how to adapt Dr. Vinzenz von Tscharner’s “intensity analysis” for software I had available to me at Western Oregon University. I could just as well have just given me the code to do the analysis, but he knew it would teach me nothing. As he said, “you don’t really learn something until you are first completely confused by it”. In other words, your need to struggle in order to learn. As he took me to the gates of wavelet hell and back that summer, I learned as much about myself as I did about analyzing non-stationary bioelectrical signals in the time-frequency domains. Over time, it became more of a friendship than a collegial relationship.
Despite his relentless efforts in the labs at UO, Travis finally made time for romance. I knew Travis valued family. He spoke often of his parents in Nebraska. I believe he considered his students and peers as family. But, I felt a sense of relief when he announced to me he was getting married. I thought for sure “this guy spends way too much time in his lab to have time for a girlfriend.” Amazingly, he did and—from all I heard from him—she was amazing. On top of getting married, he immediately became a step-father to two lovely girls. So, on top of teaching, researching, publishing, and romancing, he started coaching youth soccer! Family was clearly a priority. It taught me that, whatever my aspirations in scholarship might be, family is always first. (I knew this, of course, but it gave me an excuse to prioritize research less.)
As I write this today, thinking about Travis and our loss, I am reminded of the opportunities I have to have an impact on the world. Our reach is far greater than we might think. Moreover, our life is short. Live it to the fullest and share it even more.
I am grateful for all who have come into my life—however they may have come. I am not willing to sell any relationship short or to consider anyone less of a friend because I have never actually met them. I get to share life (no matter how short the time) with some truly awesome people.
Carpe momento!
https://www.youcaring.com/marybethpricebeck-765953