I grew up in the Rogue Valley, which is located in the heart of Southern Oregon. I spent my summers rafting on the Rogue, Illinois, and Applegate Rivers, biking in the Cascade Mountains, and getting poison oak while hiking in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness.  After graduating from South Medford High School, I made my way to Willamette University and spent four enjoyable years in Salem, OR, where I majored in Political Science.

After graduating from Willamette, I obtained a second bachelor's degree, this time in Geography, at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

I eventually received a master's degree at the University of Akron, worked at Esri, and then made my way to Ohio State University for a Ph.D. and postdoctoral appointment. Long story short, I walked away from several opportunities in the private sector to pursue a career in academia. I just couldn't bear the thought of working on somebody else's projects, in a cubicle, for 60 hours a week.  Over the past 15 years, I've held academic and leadership positions in Geography, Computing/Informatics, Environmental Science, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Sociology, Public Affairs, Public Policy, Criminology, and Information Science.  I love what I do.

In my spare time, I hike, ride my bike, and explore the West.