Son of one of the early space engineers at Kennedy Space Center
... I was born in Melbourne and grew up on Merritt Island about a mile south of Pineda Causeway. Tropical Trail was quite the paradise for a childhood during the 60's and 70's. We grew all sorts of tropical fruit: papaya, persimmon, avocado, leechi nut, carambola, guava, etc. I even earned enough money selling mangos on the side of the road to buy a ski-boat! Hobby interests have been the individual water sports: surfing, SCUBA diving, water skiing, snowboarding, etc.
I studied marine biology, psychology, science education and skateboarding at Florida State University. Worked a brief time as a field researcher for NOAA and completed masters studies in education at Florida Institute of Technology.
Professionally, in addition to teaching the sciences for 20 years at the secondary level, I have provided many computer application workshops, been a part of state science standards committees, and taught both graduate and undergraduate methods classes for Computer Sciences and Secondary Science Education.
Aside from becoming an
Apple Distinguished Educator, a professional career highlight was being selected as an
Access Excellence Fellow:
NSTA selected outstanding Biology teachers at the bequest of Genentech Corp. for a three initiative to establish a science educator’s online community in the mid 1990’s.
In 1994, I was recognized as an Access Excellence Fellow in Genetech Corp.’s 10 Million dollar / three year investment in Life Science Education. Our pioneer class was charged with establishing an online community of exemplary lesson plans, resources and expert contacts for science educators. Creating an online community for teachers and by teachers was a novel challenge in 1994, as this was the year that the world wide web began to really take off. I was really excited to return for a month at the request of Genentech Corporation 1995 as a Genentech Summer Scholar- training the incoming class of fellows.
I am married and have a 23 year old daughter and an 20 year old son.
Memberships
- Florida Association of Science Teachers- Lifetime Member
- SIGraph (Special Interest Group Graphics)
- ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education)
