2006 Retreat: Wattle Hallow Retreat Center in Northwest Arkansas

A key tenet of the ArK.I.D.S. philosophy is that learning should not be confined to the classroom and laboratory context. Indeed, many of the best ideas are born from “mixing it up” and challenging one another to “think outside the box.” Of course, sometimes one needs a bit of inspiration to think about something in a new way; from time to time this is achieved by sharing a drink or meal at the local watering hole while trying to conceptualize an upcoming study. More formally, laboratory personnel gather each fall for a retreat; this year we camped in the Devil’s Den State Park, in the Ozark mountains. In addition, Dr. Leen-Feldner holds an end-of-the-year party to celebrate everyone’s accomplishments.