I am a product of a unique environment. My Father, Iowa’s native son and technical writing guru at Lockheed Martin, and my Mother, an Italian New York originating Kundalini yoga instructor, are a match made in Heaven. Their love translated into a stupendous childhood for me and my sister. Born in Winter Park, FL (and raised in Maitland, FL), I was lucky enough to have a culturally diverse upbringing. I spent my childhood summers alternating between Disney, Church Camp, Soccer Camp, Kundalini yoga classes, and traveling to across the United States and Europe. Though, being from Florida, one can’t escape the wonderful beaches.

After graduating from Edgewater High School in 2002, I attended the University of Central Florida - pursuing a psychology major and management minor. There, I met my wonderful wife. After several years of dating, asking, and begging, she finally agreed to marry me in 2008 - The same year I started the Ph.D. program in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the University of Central Florida.

Now, they say you shouldn't have kids in grad school, but I am not one to follow tradition. As my tenure at UCF was coming to a close, we welcome our first child, Liam on July 4th, 2013. Although this put a slight delay on my graduation date, it was well-worth - This kid is ridiculously awesome! I defended my dissertation proposal on April 1st, 2014 and, after much work, defended my dissertation a little over a year later.

After living in Florida for 30 years, it was time to get out and experience a different sort of life. I was lucky enough to be offered a post-doctoral fellowship at Purdue University, which is in a small town in Indiana. About a year into the my post-doc, we welcomed our second child, Emerson. She is the happiest baby you'll ever meet: I guarantee it.

I honestly could not ask for a better life - A wonderful family, work, and colleagues. I have certainly been blessed so far in this life and I can only hope to continue on my current path.