- Department: Civil Engineering
- University: Louisiana State University
- Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
I grew up in a small rural Georgia town as the oldest of three brothers. I was 5'4" tall until 10th grade and arrived at college without much confidence. I quickly sought out all the "cool" things and got busy going all in. I joined a fraternity, got involved in the right clubs, and even learned to make good grades. I wanted to have it all. Strangely, the more I succeeded at everything I thought I wanted the emptier I felt. After 4 years of "success" I found myself frustrated. I bumped into a dude that invited me to hang out and read the bible. I had grown up in a religious home, so I was pretty skeptical. It just seemed too simple: read my bible, pray, go to church, and then I'm a good person? Despite my skepticism, as I grew increasingly frustrated with the junk I was accumulating, I just asked God to meet me where I was and help me. And he did. One of the first things I did was delete all my pirated music. My roommate thought I was absolutely insane, because we loved our music. Little by little I just started doing what God put on my heart. Through this process I learned that Jesus meets me where I can't or won't. It wasn't all sunshine and buttercups. I lost a lot of friendships in my fraternity (my "brothers" called my room "the chapel") But my conscience was clean and I was content with who I was becoming. All these years later, I'm still just trying to follow what God puts on my conscience and trusting that he will meet me where I can't.
Favorite Quote
You are under no obligation to remain the same person you were a year ago, a month ago, or even a day ago. You are here to create yourself, continuously. -- Richard Feynman
Friends describe me
laid back; ready for a spontaneous hike;
My hobbies
fly fishing; reading; playing outside with my wife and daughter
Fantasy dinner guests
John Snow (the epidemiologist); Ernest Hemingway; Job;
Best advice I ever received
Wisdom is justified by its children
My undergrad alma mater
Georgia Tech
My worst subject in school
Chemistry
In college I drove
1988 Chevy S-10 Blazer
If I weren't a professor, I would
be a fly fishing guide.
Favorite books
Beyond the Mountain by Steve House
Favorite movies
Top Gun; Dumb and Dumber
Favorite city
Traverse City, MI
Favorite coffee
Stumptown Roasters
Nobody knows I
am an introvert
My latest accomplishment
making minute rice in 58 seconds
Current Research
I study the human health impacts of microbial pathogens in the built and natural environments.