Education: I graduated from Valparaiso High School.  I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Alma College, Alma, MI with a doble major in Mathematics and Psychology.  I have a Masters Degree from Michigan State University in Mathematics and Statistics, and completed coursework for a Gifted and Talented Endorsement from Purdue University.

Teaching Experience: I began teaching for BCSC at Columbus East High school in 1985.  From there I transferred to Central Middle School, and from there, to North High school in 1997.  Prior to coming to BCSC, I taught high school in Newport News, VA, and taught middle school and high school in LaPorte, IN.  I have also taught college level mathematics, statistics, and math education at Purdue North Central, IUPUC, and Indiana University - Bloomington.

Educational Leadership:  I have been the mathematics department chair at Columbus North High School since 1999.  I served 10 years on the board of the Indiana Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM) and was ICTM president for four years.  I served as the district coordinator for the Indiana Mathematics Initiative (IMI)and was part of the technology training team for IMI.  I was appointed by then Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan to the National Assessment Governing Board, the board that oversees "The Nation's Report Card."  I am currently serving my 2nd term on the Board, where I represent 12th grade teachers from across the nation.  I serve on the Assessment Development Committee and the Ad Hoc Committee for Twelfth Grade Preparedness on the National Assessment Governing Board.

Awards: I have received the Presidential Awards for Science and Mathematics Teaching, Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship, Toyota Time Grant Award, Lilly Teacher Creativity Grant Award, and the Columbus North Alumni Association - Teacher of the Year Award.

Hobbies: I enjoy running, bicycling, hiking, and backpacking.  I run before school.  I bike to school year-round (except in the rain).  Every summer, and sometimes in the spring and fall, I hike a section of the Appalachian Trail, about 200 miles per summer.  I have hiked the AT from the beginning of the trail in Georgia, through North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania almost to the New Jersey line, over 1200 miles.  I have hiked the AT in temperatures of 90 degrees and temperatures of 15 degrees, although my favorite temperature is about 60.  I have kept a journal of most of my hikes at trailjournals.com.

Family: My wife, Isabel, is a former elementary teacher and currently works with preschool children at the First Presbyterian Preschool.  We have three grown children.  One is a graduate of East High school and two are graduates of North High School.  Our daughter, Elisabeth teaches high school Spanish in Duluth, GA.  Our son, Joel, runs his own construction company in Cincinnati, and our other son, Matt, is an urban planner in Indianapolis.  We also have four grandchildren.