I am a graduate of Augustana University, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Biology with Honors distinction. After graduating from Augustana, I completed my Doctor of Philosophy in Cancer Biology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where I researched the contributions of stem cell factors in initiating and maintaining the dormancy of several human cancer types. One of the highlights of my graduate training was teaching cancer biology to students. Since completing my graduate training, I have worked as a biotechnology patent analyst reviewing a broad range of technologies within the life sciences space. While my formal training is in cancer biology, my passion is in teaching biology across a variety of grade levels, from middle school life sciences to graduate students, with cell biology being my favorite subject. In my spare time, I enjoy growing tomatoes and peppers in my garden, golfing, racing mountain and gravel bikes, and spending time with my wife and our 2 great Pyrenees: Aston and Sadie.