Tweet
Re: Laura Montgomery, Advisor and Administrator at FluTrackers.com, Died
I also am very sad that "lmonte" -- Laura -- has died. She was one remarkable person! Hard to believe she's gone. Wonderful she lives on here and in our hearts!
I will always remember Laura's humor and LIGHTness, her willingness both to initiate and to help with threads and projects of others. She was thoughtful and made clear what she contributed that was science based from her nursing and research background, what she thought would or wouldn't work from her experiential background in nursing and in life, and what was her opinion. She was a scientist, a public servant and a remarkable human being with insight into how humans worked.
Laura was always upbeat, matter-of-fact in the face of others' occasional fear and negativity, optimistic, professional with incredible knowledge-skills-and-abilities, inclusive and creative. Her contributions to flutrackers and the developing internet are legion.
2006 is not all that long ago in years, but it's light years from where we are today in web development and use. In 2006 there was no Facebook or Twitter. No Wikipedia or Blogs. Flutrackers was utterly unique and necessary as a way for professionals to communicate around the world about changes in genomes, surface topography of viruses and immune cells, antivirals, vaccines, historic pandemics, current outbreaks around the world and the possibility of catastrophic, high-mortality or lower-mortality pandemic flu.
Flutrackers was also a website where we could come together wherever in the world we were and educate each other about best practices for staying well, for protecting our families, co-workers, and friends, for educating within our own communities, agencies, organizations, nations and beyond. "Prepare for the worst and expect the best."
We were among the first to use the internet's capabilities as a discussion and self-help forum, a wiki for tracking outbreaks, a classroom to teach and learn immunology, epidemiology, virology -- and for some, how and what to prepare. Oh, I forgot we learned a lot of geography too and sociology and about cultures other than our own and about when to get out of the stock market! The knowledge that was shared here helped stimulate federal and state interagency agreements and federal flu internet websites here in the USA. We are much better prepared for emergencies than in the past.
Laura was part of all of that sharing along with Anne and Sharon and others starting in 2006. I am glad to have known and worked with her. My life was and is enriched by her. Here's to ya, Laura!
Mellie, stress psychologist for wildland firefighters and lmonte's friend and colleague on flutrackers.
I also am very sad that "lmonte" -- Laura -- has died. She was one remarkable person! Hard to believe she's gone. Wonderful she lives on here and in our hearts!
I will always remember Laura's humor and LIGHTness, her willingness both to initiate and to help with threads and projects of others. She was thoughtful and made clear what she contributed that was science based from her nursing and research background, what she thought would or wouldn't work from her experiential background in nursing and in life, and what was her opinion. She was a scientist, a public servant and a remarkable human being with insight into how humans worked.
Laura was always upbeat, matter-of-fact in the face of others' occasional fear and negativity, optimistic, professional with incredible knowledge-skills-and-abilities, inclusive and creative. Her contributions to flutrackers and the developing internet are legion.
2006 is not all that long ago in years, but it's light years from where we are today in web development and use. In 2006 there was no Facebook or Twitter. No Wikipedia or Blogs. Flutrackers was utterly unique and necessary as a way for professionals to communicate around the world about changes in genomes, surface topography of viruses and immune cells, antivirals, vaccines, historic pandemics, current outbreaks around the world and the possibility of catastrophic, high-mortality or lower-mortality pandemic flu.
Flutrackers was also a website where we could come together wherever in the world we were and educate each other about best practices for staying well, for protecting our families, co-workers, and friends, for educating within our own communities, agencies, organizations, nations and beyond. "Prepare for the worst and expect the best."
We were among the first to use the internet's capabilities as a discussion and self-help forum, a wiki for tracking outbreaks, a classroom to teach and learn immunology, epidemiology, virology -- and for some, how and what to prepare. Oh, I forgot we learned a lot of geography too and sociology and about cultures other than our own and about when to get out of the stock market! The knowledge that was shared here helped stimulate federal and state interagency agreements and federal flu internet websites here in the USA. We are much better prepared for emergencies than in the past.
Laura was part of all of that sharing along with Anne and Sharon and others starting in 2006. I am glad to have known and worked with her. My life was and is enriched by her. Here's to ya, Laura!
Mellie, stress psychologist for wildland firefighters and lmonte's friend and colleague on flutrackers.
Comment