Background
A born and raised native of Wilmington, NC and the surrounding area, my existence started when Edward Teach (Blackbeard) would terrorize our coast with his beard ablaze and his cannons loaded.... Aside from being a great great great great great grandson of Edward Teach (really) and having an insatiable desire to fire a cannon upon unsuspecting boaters & jet skiers - my life began as a boy growing up in Teachey, NC (Duplin County) and Carolina Beach.

I began my science education at Appalachian State University. My statistics, botany and English professors left lasting impressions on me. But being from the coastal plains of North Carolina, I wanted to compare and contrast my indigenous area with other more dramatically different but comparable habitats. To facilitate this, I enrolled in 2 summer semesters of Field Marine Science and Underwater Research at Shoals Marine Laboratory in Maine. Studying temperate rocky intertidal zones was quite a contrast and an experience I think was instrumental in generating within me with a desire to seek out the wondrous diversity of biological systems.

Satisfied and encouraged by this trip, I then undertook an honors program project at UNCW that brought me and my classmates to Costa Rica's Pacific and Atlantic coastlines and jungles. I conducted my own research into intertidal marine invertebrates and assisted my honors professor, Dr. Ileana Clavijo, with her Tropical Field Marine Science course.

Fueled by what I learned in Costa Rica, I took a semester of Marine Invertebrate Zoology at Duke University Marine Laboratory in Beaufort. While there, I was totally immersed in the subject of marine invertebrate zoology. In addition, at DUML, Dr. Daniel Rittschof generously offered to collaborate with me on publishing my honors thesis. His tutelage drastically expanded my understanding of the publishing process for academic topics. A paper detailing my honors thesis research (Recruitment and substrate selection for Balanus eberneus) was accepted for publication that next year.

I earned my BS in Marine Biology from UNCW and a MS in Biology/Ecology from the University of Guam. I went to school in Guam for 4 years.


My exploration of biology was enhanced once again by my decision to attend the University of Guam. Dr. Charles Birkeland, one of the founding members and director of the Marine Laboratory was conducting research I found interesting. I flew out to Guam in 1989 to see for myself and came back for school there that Fall. While working on my Masters, I traveled to Saipan, Tinian, the Republic of Palau, Bali, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Okinawa and southern coastal France. These trips greatly enriched my understanding of biology. While in Guam, I was able to assist in teaching biology and marine science at UOG. I personally completed the last 4 weeks of one course alone, both lecture and lab, when my professor lost 3 toes in an unfortunate run-in with a lawn mower. While this was not enjoyable for him, it did provide me with valuable teaching experience.

I truly enjoyed my time spent in Guam but there is no place like being home in North Carolina. I started a Ph.D. in Molecular Ecology at NCSU and now have put that degree on hiatus for a bit. But while in Guam, I published 4 scientific articles in peer review journals, presented a poster in the International Echinoderm Conference in Dijon, France (my poster gave a girl a seizure) and discovered a totally new genus of parasitic snail (Hypermastus mareticola). I was also nominated for the Governor's Art Award for graphic design.

I have taught Biology 111 and 112 and Microbiology at Cape Fear Community College. Nothing comes close to matching the satisfaction I get from teaching. I enjoy bringing an appreciation for all things biological into my student's lives.

I captain my own twin engine 26' boat (Grady White Tigercat - "SeaMonkey") and 19' skiff (Southern Skimmer - "Devil Ray"). I fish (inshore and offshore) regularly, collect "residents" for my aquariums offshore using scuba, maintain 700 gallon recirculating tanks ("Minner-ville") for keeping small fish, catch and molt soft-shell crabs and pull a 24' shrimp trawl. These skills are practical and I appreciate what it takes to make a living this way

I strive to instill within people an appreciation for biology that is not confined by the pages of a textbook.