My interest in teaching Biology began with my first “bug” collection when I was about 6 or 7 years old.  From that point on to my first teaching job it was a linear path.  Just kidding!!  It was a long and winding road.

I was a junior in college before I became a serious student.  Prior to my junior year, I was lucky if my G. P. A. was even 2.0.  In my freshman and sophomore years in college, my main motivations for attending college were: 1) a desire to avoid a one-way ticket to Vietnam fighting in a war that I did not believe in, and 2) my Mom’s desire to see me graduate from college.  I won’t bore you here with any of my extracurricular interests during my freshman and sophomore years in college, but suffice it to say that I was pushing the envelope a bit.

What happened in the summer between my sophomore and junior years of college?  I worked on an assembly line in a factory for relatively low wages.  In order to make a little extra money, I frequently worked overtime on evenings and weekends.  I thought to myself, I want to be able to do better than this!  I decided to get serious about my education.

After finally deciding on a Biology major in my junior year of college, I began to focus on my studies.  In my senior year, I decided that I would like to go on to graduate school.  I still did not know that I wanted to be a college instructor.  After serving as a teaching assistant at UCLA, and enjoying it, I began to think of teaching as a possible career. 

While I was a graduate student at UCLA, I worked with R. John Collier on the processing of diphtheria toxin in HeLa cells.  This research collaboration was very beneficial to John as he went on to take a position at Harvard University to do cutting edge research on anthrax toxin.  He is recognized as one of the world’s leaders in anthrax research.  As an example of how famous we have both become since those early days, each one of us has been independently quoted in Tuolumne County’s daily newspaper, the Union Democrat. 

After receiving my Master’s degree, I interviewed for two positions.  One was for a lab microbiologist at Max Factor cosmetics.  The other position was as a part-time professor.  For those of you who know me, you know what a tough choice this was.  Not!   I took the teaching position, and it has been a very enjoyable and rewarding career choice.

 I have been teaching biology since 1972.  If any of you are wondering, the answer is: No!  I am not quite ready to retire!

In many ways teaching biology is, for me, my hobby as well as my vocation. 

When I was about forty years old, I got serious regarding a regular cardiovascular training program.  At the age of fifty, I started a regular program of strength training.  Even though my current students think that I am very rigid, I incorporate stretching into my program as well.

I live on forty acres with my wonderful wife, and three “killer” cats.

When I am not teaching, what do I like to do?  I am interested in the “culture wars” -especially those involving evolution.  I like Macintosh computers. Observing the unique fauna and flora that are endemic to Hawai’i is always a pleasure. I also enjoy hiking on the lava, as well as playing in the sand and water of Hawaii. Additionally I like to travel generally, hike and backpack, observe nature at all levels and garden. When my side wins I like to follow politics.  Oh yeah, in my spare time I read as many periodicals and books as possible.  Ultimately, family comes first and last.

After a varied career involving gardening, factory work, landlording, and operating a bulldozer, I can honestly say that I found my groove in teaching biology.

My goals are to build trust in science, defend the teaching of evolution in all schools public and private, and to solve environmental problems like climate change.

Finally, I agree with the wise words of Thomas Jefferson when he said,   “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”