What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I’m generally playing with my dog, reading, listening to podcasts, painting or watching shows and movies with my wife. I love to cook, so I can usually be found digging into a new recipe. I also enjoy cycling, so if I have the time (and motivation), I’ll hop on, put on some music and do a stationary training ride.

What is the best thing about the College of Health Sciences?

For me professionally, the best thing has always been graduation. Especially in May 2023, with my first full graduating class of seniors, it was an incredible moment to see students crossing the stage who I’d met as freshmen during my first few months on the job. That’s been immensely rewarding. 

If the CHS advising office hosted a show-and-tell tomorrow, what would you bring?

I’d definitely bring my watercolor paintings. I got into it during the pandemic, watched hours of YouTube videos, read all about materials, and then started painting. It began with random sports moments I found comical, and then evolved into a way to remember the colleges and universities I’ve visited. I enjoy visiting a new campus, walking around, taking pictures, and then painting the iconic buildings or landmarks. I’ve got a few hanging up in my office.

What is the best piece of advice you received when you were a student?

Here’s the advice I’d go back and give myself: Do everything you can to get to know your professors. These are the people who can connect you to amazing new opportunities you might otherwise miss. If you invest in that relationship, there’s no telling what positive and productive things can come of it. 

Are you a Mizzou alum?

I’m not a Mizzou alum. As an Alabama native, I chose to go to Auburn University (War Eagle and all that). But Auburn and Mizzou are quite similar, so I could easily have seen myself going to Mizzou.