Program Director, Computer Engineering

Favorite food: Chipotle chicken burrito bol

Favorite book: East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Favorite TV show: House

Favorite movie: Tron

Favorite pastime/ hobbies: Photography, theater (Milwaukee Rep)

Favorite place you've traveled/Favorite place to visit: Washington, D.C.

Lives in: Downtown Milwaukee

How long have you been at MSOE?
Over six years; since March 2002.

What classes do you teach?
Senior design, CE-1900 (freshman digital logic [computer hardware]), Embedded systems software, computer security

What is your favorite subject to teach? Why?
I like them all. Operating systems is near the top - it's where we cover a lot of theory and algorithms and then apply them in real systems.

What is your favorite aspect of teaching?
Seeing students learn, increase their confidence in their skills and succeed.

What is your teaching philosophy?
The ideal lecture is a discussion with students, guided in a specific direction by the professor, leading to understanding of a new type of problem or way to solve it, leveraged by examples in which students participate.

Do you have business, industry or "real-world" experience? How does that help in the class room?
Yes, beyond working for Johnson Controls for two years, I have worked with Starkey Laboratories Inc. ("Starkey"), a large hearing aid developer and manufacturer, intermittently since 2000. I've worked at both their Eden Prairie, Minn., and Berkeley, Calif., locations. That is where I still spend most of my summers. It keeps me up to date on the various software design tools being used in industry, and on the advances in hearing aid and digital signal processing hardware.

Are you involved in any extracurricular activities? Which ones?
Several. One of my favorites is IM [intramural] floor hockey, in which I've participated for the last two years. I also volunteer to serve at of all the midnight breakfasts. Additionally, I'm a fan of MSOE athletics, especially hockey, basketball and soccer.

What do you like most about MSOE?
Bright, dedicated colleagues, bright dedicated students and a huge variety of activities keeps one intellectually stimulated and gives plenty of opportunities to contribute.

What do you like most about MSOE students?
Pure enthusiasm for the material they're learning.

Have you won any awards? Which ones?
Most notable is probably the 1997 Fred F. Loock MSOE Outstanding Student Award.