My interest in geology started when I was a teenager working for a nature preserve in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I led a staff of guides responsible for introducing tourists to the geology of Kinsman Notch and guiding them through Lost River gorge, boulder caves, rock formations and waterfalls. So it seems that I have been teaching geology in one way or another most of my life. I entered college at the University of Maine at Orono as an undecided Arts and Science major where I took my first course in geology. This course was introductory and was team-taught with each professor bringing enthusiasm for his own area of interest.
The excitement evident in my professors propelled me toward a career in geology and led me to the University of Connecticut, Storrs. While at UConn I worked with a hydrogeologist, Dr. Gary Robbins, on my graduate degrees (MS and PhD) and was introduced to the applied aspects of geology, environmental investigations and contamination characterizations. I, like many geology students of the ‘90s, pursued employment with environmental consulting companies during my graduate studies. Meanwhile my PhD dissertation focused on methods of groundwater sampling which at the time were surprisingly new and undergoing rapid development.
In 1994, with my PhD diploma in hand, I searched nation wide for a position with a university department of geology as a hydrogeologist. At the time hydrogeology PhDs were relatively few but the competition was still stiff. My wife, an environmental engineer, and I decided that Toledo Ohio would be a good choice for both of our careers and a nice place to live. Here at The University of Toledo in the Department of Earth, Ecological and Environmental Sciences I continue to work on groundwater sampling and regional hydrogeology, specifically on a glacial-lake dune complex.
My wife and I have been in Toledo 25 years now during which time we have raised two children (Roan 22 and Raeanna 18) and have made this rustbelt town on the shore of Lake Erie our home. When time allows I play banjo and guitar with local old-time string bands and with my wife who plays cello and sings, i.e., life’s grand.
