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Where are you from, and what brought you to Athens?
I’m originally from Tennessee but have lived throughout the South for the majority of my life. However, I’ve spent the last three years living in the United Kingdom. I applied to OHIO because of the job opportunity but decided to come here after seeing how enthusiastic the faculty is about their work and their teaching.
Where did you prepare for your profession, and what was most memorable about your experience?
My Ph.D. work was at Texas A&M University in biomedical engineering, and my post-doctoral work was completed at both the University of Warwick and the University of Birmingham in England.
Was there a moment or time you knew you'd become an engineer?
I’ve always enjoyed tinkering and getting to understand why things are happening, whether it was growing crystals in my mother’s bathroom as a kid or designing new biomaterials for 3D printing. The 3D printing part stuck a bit better and is a major focus of my research and teaching now. I think that it’s going to have major impact on most aspects of life, and students need to be familiar with it.
What would you say is your professional superpower?
I’m not sure what my superpower is yet, but certainly my superhero name is Nightweems.
At the Russ College, we "create for good." How will you "create for good" while you're at the Russ College?
The “create for good’ statement is one of the things that I really like about OHIO. I’ve started working on a device to aid in breast cancer surgery, aimed at improving patient healing and safety.
What's the most fun/weird/zany/cool/exciting/awesome thing about Athens so far?
The bike path is fantastic for running on.
What’s the best local food you’ve had or local spot you've visited, and why?
The bagels are pretty great, but I like the shrimp tortellini at Lui Lui.
What are some of your hobbies?
Outside of work, I like to run, read, and I collect comic books.
Name a top book, movie, show, band, travel destination, and say why.
I’ve really enjoyed the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.
What's something your students would never guess about you? And what advice would you give them heading into fall semester?
I’m not sure what they’d guess about me, but hopefully they’ll learn I’m not as scattered as I seemed on my first day. The advice I’d give to any student would be to make sure that they stretch outside of their degree. So, for engineers, get involved in something that will help them to build their capabilities, not just their resumes.
What are you looking forward to most during your time here at the Russ College?
I’m really looking forward to getting to engage with the different faculty and their expertise. I have the goal of trying to find a way to collaborate at least once with everyone in my department and hopefully beyond, because so much of what people are doing is so cool.