Kelly Harrell

Associate Professor of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine

Follow Kelly #AtHomeWithAAA

I’m working from – I did not previously have a home office, so I recreated my office in the suburban home I share with my husband and two kids, with my work desktop and printer set up in our guest room.

I appreciate – Extra time with family, our backyard, finding joy in simple things.

I really miss – The sights and sounds of the city on my commute to work.

My challenges – These typically stem from balancing home and work responsibilities while attempting to be productive at “working from home.” I've had to readjust and readjust my expectations of not only myself, but also of my family, colleagues, and students. I try to be as clear and kind in my communications as possible.

Making connections – It has been a great time to connect with old and new AAA members. I know we all missed not making those connections in person at our annual meeting, so I've enjoyed feeling like we've still been able to connect. Big thanks to AAA leadership for crafting opportunities to foster new connections.

Staying resilient – I have about 180 M1 students; they seem to be rolling with it. My educational scholarship is continuing, but mainly in the pre-planning and data analysis phases.

New tech – I've learned to use Camtasia to make videos, which I've really liked so far and will likely use moving forward.

My lifesavers – My husband, for taking care of the kids, and IAMSE.

My guilty pleasures – Early morning jogs by the lake, French press coffee, a glass of wine.

I’ve (re)discovered – I’ve been getting back to running more and will start kayaking soon!

My media mix – I have gravitated toward media that either places me in a totally different world (Ozark, Making the Cut, Little Fires Everywhere) or brings me joy (SomeGoodNews).

Being kind to yourself – I've decided to not give myself a hard time at the end of a day that could have gone better in terms of productivity. We are all doing our best to meet the needs of our students, colleagues, families, and ourselves. It is a tall order, and some days are better than others. It took about three weeks to get to this point, but grace is necessary in this current state we are experiencing.