I was born on June 30, 1977. I arrived five weeks early, during what was meant to be my parents' last camping trip before settling into life with baby number two. My mom went into labor on the rim of Bryce Canyon (see popup map at left), and I made my way into the world in a small hospital in Panguitch, Utah (population now reaching 1700!). It turned out to be an almost prophetic event - to this day I am eager to start new things can be terribly stubborn. My middle name, Lea (pronounced "lee"), is a tribute to the view from my mom's hospital bed - a beautifil meadow full of prairie dog mounds. [Note to all crossword addicts: 'lea' will come in handy sooner or later]
A week later Mom and Dad sprung me from the incubator and we drove back to California in a VW bus. I
spent the next 21 years in a republican
stronghold of Orange County called Huntington Beach, CA. Some people call
it "Surf City," but that's mostly the tourists. I went to Huntington
Beach High School, where I was simultaneously a jock and a dork, and completely unpopular due to braces, zits, and a lack of funds to purchase the right clothes/car/friends/etc. It was Orange County after all. My favorite classes were always science and ceramics. Despite enjoying my friends and several sports, I was rather
pleased to graduate and move on to other things.
After high school I was accepted at UCSB, but I couldn't afford to go. I reluctantly headed off to junior college: Orange Coast College. OCC happened to be one of the best community colleges in the country, and I flourished there. Going to OCC remains one of the best decisions that I ever made, and I recommend junior college to everyone, regardless of their financial situation. The college is well known for its Marine Science Program, and I became heavily involved with it. I discovered my passions for Oceanography and for teaching while at OCC, thanks mostly to the sage counsel of Dr. Tom Garrison (that guy who writes those amazing books). If OCC wasn't in Southern California, I'd go back there to teach when I finish my Ph.D. Sadly, I can no longer handle the madness that is "The OC."
While at OCC I also took advantage of their semester abroad program. I spent the fall of 1997 in Cambridge, England. I saw Stephen Hawking rolling around, punted on the Cam, and chased Newton's ghost down the hall at Kings College. I was even nerdy enough to go to Greenwich and straddle the Prime Meridian, thus placing myself in two hemispheres at once. I also had the opportunity to intern at the Scott Polar Research Institute under Dr. Robert Headland, the head archivist. I got to flip through Wilson's journals (with gloves on, of course), and hold the black flag that Amundsen left for Captain Scott at the South Pole. Now that was cool.
In 1998 I finagled myself a full scholarship, and finally got to go to the University of California, Santa Barbara. I majored in Aquatic Biology, and graduated with honors in 2000. While I was there I worked in Dr. Jim Case's Lab, where we studied bioluminescence. It was the best experience that I gained as an undergraduate student at UCSB, maybe even more important than my coursework. I formed great friendships with the girls I worked with, and I got a glimpse of what it was like to be a graduate student.
During
my first year at UCSB I was a member and co-captain of the UCSB Rowing team. I absolutely
loved doing it - it is the most rigorous physical task imaginable, and it pushes you to all of your limits. I learned a lot about myself during that year. Rowing seriously is extremely demanding, and I couldn't
row during my senior year if I was going to graduate with honors as planned.
That one year of rowing was filled with some of the best experiences of
my life (see popup at left), and I'll never forget the sunrises on Lake Cachuma. Someday
I will get back on the water, but until then, go Gauchos!
After
I finished up at UCSB I headed up to the innocuous state of Oregon to
pursue my Ph.D. in Oceanography. I chose Oregon State University for it's strong programs in Ocean
Optics and Plankton/Bio-Optical Oceanography, which are the subject
areas of my research. I also wanted to leave California to gain experience
living in other parts of the country. (It turns out that southern California is a really really strange place, but you never could have convinced me of that until after I had left for a while). I've had many adventures in the Pacific Northwest over the last fews years, not the least of which was meeting and marrying the love of my life. It's hard to imagine how things could be any better up here! But, I digress.
The current plan is to continue my research and writing, and to complete my degree in the Winter of 2006. After that, there's no telling where we'll end up.
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