He was born and raised in Normal, IL, which is about halfway between Chicago and St. Louis.  His life as a scientist was never in question as started taking stuff apart at a young age.  When he was 12, he pried open a Duracell battery to get at the alleged dry cell within to do a chemical reaction out of the science book.  It turns out that batteries contain acid which in advertently squirted in his eye resulting in the use of bathroom sink as an impromptu eye wash and a trip to the emergency room.  Mr. Gore, his great high school chemistry teacher, harnessed this curiosity and helped with his college choice.He was seeking a small college good in chemistry to attend and Mr. Gore suggested Hope College in Holland, MI, which he attended and majored in chemistry.  With Dr. Mike Silver as his advisor, he did a summer research project at Hope and a summer internship in the Netherlands working on biomaterial polymers.  During his senior year, he worked as an intern for Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals at their R&D facility in Holland, MI.  After graduation, he was fortunate to be hired on permanently and spent three great years there working on several drugs for indications including: diabetic neuropathy and a cholesterol reduction, Lipitor.  Parke-Davis ended up getting purchased by Pfizer because of the success of Lipitor. Southern California is now his home and he teach at Pepperdine University in the Natural Science Division of Seaver College.  The students are great and beginning some research projects with them.  When he is not in the classroom or the lab, you'll find me walking or hiking with Aza on campus or the trails of the Santa Monica Mountains. 

Characterization and reaction chemistry of environmental substrates and pollutants