About Me

I am originally from Clover, South Carolina, which is just outside of Charlotte. On any given day I enjoy going for walks with my wife, Emily (and identifying plants as we go), reading, teaching, doing research, and playing online games with my friends from home. My favorite non-fiction book is currently Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. For the fiction-lovers, a favorite pick of mine is The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy.

I have enjoyed teaching since I was an economics tutor at my undergraduate alma mater, Winthrop University. After getting married in 2018, Emily and I volunteered in the education sector in Mongolia through the U.S. Peace Corps. We worked closely with two schools and the Department of Education in Dornod—the easternmost province of Mongolia—for two years before being evacuated due to COVID-19.

Currently I am a fourth-year doctoral student in pursuit of a Ph.D. in Economics at West Virginia University. I live with my wife Emily and our two cats, Nala and Maui, in Morgantown, West Virginia. After completing my Ph.D., my goal is to work as an assistant professor at a teaching-focused school in the southeastern United States so that Emily and I can be near friends and family.

Nala

Nala has been a part of our family since September of 2018 when she followed me and Emily back to our apartment in Mongolia. She enjoys going for walks on her leash (so long as there aren't too many dogs).

Maui

Maui has been a part of our family since April of 2020 when we adopted her from my sister. While more timid than Nala, Maui is a loving Siamese Flame Point who enjoys breakfast time and basking in the sun. 

While not studying or teaching economics, I enjoy identifying plants during outdoor walks.  It's easy to transform an everyday walk into a treasure-hunting adventure by snapping pictures of plants I've never seen and identifying them. A few favorites are shown below:

Taxodium distichum

(Bald Cypress)

Liquidambar styraciflua

(Sweetgum)

Cupressus arizonica

(Arizona Cypress)

Quercus nigra

(Water Oak)