Biographical Information

Professional History:

In 1981, I earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut.  Subsequently, I worked for two years as a technical sales representative in the Ion Exchange Resin group of Rohm and Haas Company, a chemical manufacturer based in Philadelphia.  I then left the world of industry for teaching.  I taught mathematics for five years at Paul VI High School, a Catholic diocesan high school in Fairfax, Virginia.  After that, I entered graduate studies in Experimental Social Psychology at Dartmouth College.  Under the mentorship of Jay G. Hull, I completed my dissertation, titled "Interaction Goals and the Five Factor Model: A Social Psychological Approach," and was granted my Ph.D.  I went directly from there to Coe College as an Assistant Professor of Psychology. In the spring of 1999, the college honored me with tenure and promoted me to Associate Professor of Psychology.

Personal Information:

I was born the third of six sons in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Thus, I am genetically wired to be a Cincinnati Reds fan.  When I was ten, my family move to Fairfield, Connecticut where I later attended Notre Dame Catholic High School.  After a year of college at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, I returned to my home state and graduated from UConn (you know, the 1995, 2000, 2002, & 2003 NCAA women's basketball champions and the 1999 NCAA men's basketball champions).

My wife, Lauri, is currently working on her Ph.D. in counseling psychology at the University of Iowa.  Through her, I have two wonderful stepchildren, Jake and Kelsey.  We reside in Tipton, a small Iowa town near the farm where my wife grew up. Jake is in his second year at Coe and Kelsey is an active Tipton Tiger.

Due to a bum knee (and, in general, poor coordination) I have been forced to give up playing basketball, squash, and tennis.  Therefore my sporting activities tend to be confined to in-home exercise, cycling, and golf.  My primary reading interests are history (mostly biography or Civil War--especially Lincoln), psychology (of course), religion, and an occasional novel.  When I have the time, I also enjoy listening to music and watching old sitcoms.