Undergraduate Degree: Michigan Technological University - Bachelor of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science

Graduate Degree: Michigan Technological University - Master of Science, Mathematics

I first taught myself computer programming as a middle school student - like many, I had thoughts of being a video game developer in those days. It's hard to separate my hobbies from my academic interests, really - every field of study I've pursued formally came after a long run of self-study on the mid-2000s Internet. Among the interests I've not pursued academically, I've done some theatre, having been in a production of Twelfth Night as an undergraduate, and have carried an interest in both reading and writing science fiction and fantasy from my teen years. When finances and schedules align (rare even before a global pandemic), I am also fond of traveling - having grown up in an academic family and holding dual citizenship got me in early. Besides living in the US, New Zealand, and Canada, I have personally visited Germany, Japan, and Portugal - and was making plans to see South Korea before the pandemic hit.