I graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial & Systems Engineering, a Bachelor of Arts in German, and a Master's of Business Administration with a concentration in Supply Chain Management. As an undergraduate, I spent a year living in Germany, first studying engineering at a technical university in Braunschweig and then working for a logistics company, DB Schenker, in Berlin. I have been learning German since I was a freshman in high school and have spent a lot of time in the country. After graduating from college, I began working as an Industrial Engineer for the U.S. Navy. During this part of my career, I worked extensively in Continuous Process Improvement, achieving a certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt. I regularly teach Yellow, Green, and Black Belt courses to fellow engineers and scientists.