I am from Salem, Virginia, studied at Salem High School then went on to attend Wofford College in South Carolina. I majored in Biology and Spanish, specializing in the study of reptiles and amphibians (Herpetology). After college, I moved to the South American country of Ecuador where I currently pursue field research, scientific tourism, and other innovate projects in education and conservation. My primary research interests are in ecology and natural history of venomous snakes and other herps.