I grew up in Alliance, Ohio, two hours southwest of Erie. I joined the Department of Mathematics here at Gannon in 1999. My wife Kristin and I have been married 26 years. Kristin teaches English as a Second Language at Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary in the Erie School District. We have two adult children.
My Ph.D. is in the area of algebraic combinatorics. Combinatorics is the mathematics of finite sets - think about problems like counting the number of possible lottery tickets, or constructing a schedule for a sports league. Algebra, especially matrix algebra, is a source of both questions and solutions in combinatorics. More recently I have become interested in statistics both for the mathematics involved and as a way to collaborate with colleagues from other departments who have data to analyze.
My biggest claim to fame on campus is probably my appearance as a contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2004. I was also a contestant on Jeopardy! as a graduate student, and I’ve written articles about the mathematics of both shows for Math Horizons. Outside of math, I enjoy travel, history, astronomy, and choral singing. My wife and I are big fans of the local arts scene. Erie has many talented, creative people. We attend a play, concert, ballet, or gallery event nearly every weekend and still don't manage to see everything we would like to see.