Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and what hobbies/sports you do.

A: I live in Ypsilanti. I went to Kalamazoo College and Oregon State. In high school, I played four sports a year, so I played football, wrestled, ran sprints and did long jump, and played soccer in the summer.

Q: What do you teach and why?

A: I’m certified in chemistry and biology but I’ve only ever taught chemistry. I was slated to teach biology but started teaching chemistry because a teacher transferred in who had seniority over me. I just liked it and I’ve stayed ever since.

Q: Have you always been interested in the subject you teach?

A: Yes, of course. I knew I wanted to study and work in science since I was probably five.

Q: What/who inspired you to become a teacher?

A: Both of my parents are teachers: my dad was a professor and my mom taught elementary school. I had really good teachers in elementary, middle, and high school and great professors in college that put me on that path thinking I would be happy and comfortable there.

Q: What do you do in your free time?

A: I used to own a brewery so I’m still into home brewing. I do beer judging, I love cooking, and I’ve been getting into metallurgical things like knife-making.

Q: What is one motto you will always live by?

A: “Do no harm and take no crap.”

Q: What is your favorite teaching moment?

A: A student came to me in a chemistry class about 20 years ago when we were studying polarity – how certain things dissolve other things – and exclaimed that I had saved her life. She said that she stayed out at a sorority party and fell asleep. When she woke up, she noticed her car had a big sticker stuck to the side of it. She drove home and started to go to work to get the sticker off – when water didn’t work she remembered chemistry and used some kind of oil. It came off right as she was finishing cleaning it up. Her mom then walked out and asked “Why are you up so early?” She got away with it.

Q: What surprised you about this year? 

A: In the back of my mind, I was thinking this might be the year where we completely returned to normal after COVID because enrollments are up and students have been back. I think we’re very close but I was a little surprised since we weren’t there yet.