Biography

With the exception of one wonderful year out-of-state, I am a born and bred Michiganian/Michigander.  I was raised in the area of suburban Detroit known as "Downriver," which is an often misunderstood place, both in terms of its location and culture.  It is a traditionally blue-collar area where the majority of people are employed in the automotive industry.

I was valedictorian of my high school graduating class at Southgate Anderson High School, and from there went to the University of Michigan.  I went through the usual major-of-the-month during my first few years of college, but was almost always headed toward something in science.  I graduated with a degree in biology, and after deciding against medical school (I never applied to any, so I can't say I was rejected...nor could I say I was a lock to get in), I obtained my teaching certificate the following year.

My first job was at Clarkston High School, where I started in 1998.  I taught various courses in biology and chemistry, both advanced and remedial.  However, I started to get an itch to try something new, and for the 2006-2007 school year my district granted me a leave so I could pursue a degree in Futures Studies at the University of Houston, one of three colleges in the US which grants such a degree.  The following summer I was an intern at the Institute of Alternative Futures, a leading futures consulting firm in the Beltway.  Undecided on my career path (i.e., there weren't many futures jobs at the time, and I was not set on jumping right into a doctoral program), I returned to teaching the following fall.  After taking a year off of my own schooling, I began my doctorate in Instructional Technology at Wayne State University.

As I approached the end of my doctoral career, I accepted a faculty appointment at Grand Valley State University, where I began teaching in the fall of 2012.  I have also served as an adjunct for Wayne State University.  In 2017, I left GVSU to become the Director of Accreditation for Madonna University. I went back into the K-12 world in 2019 when I became an educational technology consultant for Wayne RESA, the intermediate school district for Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan. In 2022, I returned 'home' to my first job as a science teacher.

I do have somewhat of a life outside of both my school and the schooling of others.  I'm an avid runner (13 marathons to date), hack chef, and a homebrewer.

Finally, I married my best friend in June of 2012.  In June of 2017, I became a father for the first time, as my wife and I adopted a baby girl.