I was born and raised in Missoula, Montana and completed my B.S. degree in chemical engineering in 1978 at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman, Montana. I went into the Peace Corps after completing my B.S. degree, where I taught high school math and science in Nepal. This introduced me to the fascinating world of foreign countries, languages and customs, which led to a lifelong interest in global issues and travel. After returning from the Peace Corps, I completed an M.S. in chemical engineering at MSU, then entered a Ph.D. program at the University of Washington in Seattle. I completed my Ph.D. in chemical engineering in 1989, and came to the University of New Mexico (UNM) as a Research Assistant Professor. After several years, I applied for and obtained an open tenure track slot at UNM. My main passions (outside teaching and research, of course!) are outdoors activities (fishing, hiking, biking, skiing, backpacking), travel, and gardening. I have traveled extensively in southeast Asia, and last summer had my first exposure to South America in a fascinating visit to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.