I am an individual who enjoys coastal regions, estuaries, wetlands, and other related areas. The biological sphere is especially interesting with how it affects, and is affected by, its geochemical surroundings. I earned two masters degrees, one in Coastal and Marine System Science and another in Biological Oceanography at TAMU-CC (2023) and FIT (2017), respectively. While at TAMUCC I studied DIN within wastewater. At FIT I studied the effects that 'environmental dredging' had on infaunal, benthic, and seagrass populations within the Indian River Lagoon. This study was published in Marine Technology Society Journal, issue 25(4). I earned a BS in biology while minoring in physics from BYU-I (2014). I conducted an unpublished undergraduate research project that looked at the settlement preference of juvenile Dungeness crabs at Coos Bay, Oregon.Outside of school I have gained experience working within the National Estuarine Research Research System (NERRS) monitoring water and meteorological conditions, maintaining datalogging, sensory, and telemetry equipment, and QA/QC of gathered data.I earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the BSA in 1999. My project involved constructing and deploying bird boxes along a river access road for the US Corps of Engineers for riparian birds to use. I served as a voluntary full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2004-2006) serving south Chicago and the surrounding towns where I did my best to teach and share the love God has for us all. Additional service within this church has included being the president of a quorum of men whose responsibility is overseeing the physical and spiritual wellbeing of the members of the congregation, as a clerk who manages the membership and financial contributions of the congregation, as a teacher of various age groups ranging from children to adults, as a Cub Scout leader helping the boys understand their duty to God and Country, duty to others, and their duty to themselves, and even helped with the custodial duties on many occasions. We are taught in my church that when we serve others, we are also serving God. It is through service that we show our love to the people around us.Finally, and most importantly, I am a father of six great children and the husband of one great wife. My life experiences has given me both broad and specific knowledge with respect to coastal systems and research and the human element that encourages people to succeed and be their best self.
