So what do you do here?

Second-year dental student: go to class, take exams, work on dental skills in the simulation clinic, and see prescreened patients with limited needs in the sophomore clinics at the College of Dentistry.

What do you enjoy most about being in a higher education setting?

I am undeniably an auditory learner, a character trait that has proved to be a bit of a handicap during my Ph.D. when the bulk of my knowledge of the field had to be scraped together through the reading of scientific articles rather than going to conferences and hearing the source directly. Institutions like Iowa, the NIH, and Oxford always have such a wealth of interesting talks to attend, absolutely free of charge. This readily available access to intellectual and cultural experiences is probably what I would miss most if I were to end up working in a nonacademic environment.

Take us through your most memorable day at the university.

October 2004: I was presenting a poster of my undergraduate research at the IMU as part of the annual Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing (CBB) research conference. A short while into my allotted time to stand by my poster a very attractive (initial assessment) and interesting (secondary bonus discovery) young woman stopped by to hear about my work. She was a research assistant in a CBB laboratory and we talked so long that I missed my faculty evaluation for the prizes to be awarded. No regrets, however, as nine-plus years later she is still everything she was then and a whole lot more (including my wife). CBB probably regrets approving my poster abstract as I stole her away from them when we left for D.C. in 2007.

What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken—and did it pay off?

Honestly, I think leaving Iowa City in 2007, right in the middle of my dental training, was the farthest out on the limb I have ever gone. Certainly some close friends and family were apprehensive of the idea and didn’t understand my motivations. Did it pay off? Well, for me that answer is undeniably yes; I would make the same decision again without hesitation. However, taking a more worldly view, only time will tell. If I can eventually make use of both my Ph.D. and dental training, then all the additional debt and lost time and earning potential will just be necessary hurdles, I suppose.

If you could spend a day with anyone, from any era, who would it be and why?

It is a real toss-up between spending a whole day just chatting with Nathaniel Adams Coles (I love his voice, even if it was just the product of all those menthols) and going fishing with John Lurie.

If you could have a song written about you, who would perform it, and what would it be called?

First off, no one will ever write a song about me, but if I could encourage one artist in the world to write more music it would be Neil Hannon. The man has incredible talent and is just plain fun.

If you could get rid of one invention in the world, what would you choose? Why?

Bacon-flavored mayonnaise. Personally I have never liked mayonnaise of any smell, color, or texture, but was shocked and slightly appalled to find this porky egg product to be included in the special “American Foods” section of one of the massive department stores in London. Coming from a state home to 15-20 million pigs, I felt that I should have been aware of such a product prior to being told that it was a typical American condiment by the general British public.

Name five of your favorite things.

• Favorite food: too many to list but most involve cheese or cinnamon. (Note I did not say and.)
• Favorite drink: Laphroaig Quarter Cask Whisky (My father-in-law is all to blame here, although the UK was a bad influence on me).
• Favorite movie: Paint Your Wagon (The one where Clint Eastwood sings).
• Favorite rec activity: Going on nature walks or city walks with my family.
• Favorite vacation spot: Kiawah Island, S.C., in early spring (the marsh side: alligators are much more interesting to watch than golfers).
• And what I need to do before I die: Hike the Appalachian Trail.