So, what do you do here? 

I am an assistant director for recreational services. I’m going into my 17^th summer leading groups at our Wildlife Camps program and in September 2015 started my 16th year teaching environmental education through our School of the Wild program. I am lucky to work with more than 4,000 young people ages 3–18 every year, primarily outside.

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

I get to collaborate with people, groups, and organizations weekly, if not daily. For example, one day I worked at Macbride Nature Recreation Area with a group of sixth-grade students from a local school, guest lectured at a therapeutic-recreation class, and then represented our department at an Outdoors@Iowa event at the Natural History Museum.

Take us through your most memorable day at the university.  

During the floods of 2008, we had camps happening, and as roads were being closed all around town, we still had campers with us at the rec fields waiting to be picked up by families delayed from closures...we found frogs, snakes, tracks, and birds to help keep the kids focused, relaxed, and entertained. It was great that even though we weren't able to be at MNRA, we still were able to do some of our camp activities and have fun during a traumatic time in our city's history.

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

I took a lifeguard certification course at our department. It was super intense but incredibly empowering to be in a class with people 20 years younger and be able to hold my own and learn new skills. I hope to use these to enhance the programs I lead.

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

Scuba diving with Jacques Cousteau. It would have been incredibly rewarding to glean knowledge about the amazing creatures of our oceans from him and hear first hand about the importance of protecting one of the world's most valuable resources. He was very charismatic!

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

"One Big Crazy Life," by Walk the Moon (definitely a fast-and-wild dance song)

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

Social media. Email is enough and takes plenty of time. We don't need more things to take away from face-to-face interactions.

Name a few of your favorite things.

• My family, including our 10 pets
• Yoga and standup paddleboarding
• Climbing ice and rock, plus biking
• Reading books with happy endings
• Eating avocados and bacon