CURRENT MISSION

Trying to get to every country (currently at 144). Trying to be the best teacher and scholar I can be. Writing and publishing papers in mathematics and data science for social good. I travel during university breaks.

ABOUT ME

I am a professor of mathematics, statistics, and computer science, at a small liberal arts college. I travel about 4 months every year. I'm very extroverted, and love having interesting conversations. I love talking to people, learning from them, and thinking about deep issues. I used to be a professional beach volleyball player, and I've published papers in math, computer science, statistics, economics, biology, epidemiology, and social justice.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe in working hard towards whatever you are passionate about. I try to spend as much time doing what I love as possible. This often means lot of time doing research and developing mentoring relationships with my students, junior faculty members, younger travelers, and volleyball players.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've surfed a couple of times through couch surfing, and many times in the US without the aid of the website. I'd love to host people (if anyone ever wants to travel to Ohio) and I'm hoping to use couch surfing while I'm traveling abroad: to meet locals, to find places to stay, and to find authentic experiences. I often rent a car so don't get to meet too many locals unless I couch surf.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've used couch-surfing all over the world. It's a great way to meet new people, and I also enjoy joining couch surfing groups when I move to a new city. Finally, I've hosted a few times and love talking to people about their lives, where they've been, and random philosophical topics. I hope to host much more when I'm settled in the USA.

Interests

I love research and teaching. I love mentoring students and coaching volleyball, biking, and working out. I love exploring new areas and trying new things. I keep a beer journal with my thoughts on all the beers I've ever tried. I love reading novels, but rarely have time for it anymore.

• arts
• books
• beer
• coach
• working out
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• kayaking
• surfing
• scuba diving
• skiing
• volleyball
• computer science
• mathematics
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Movies: Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, Good Will Hunting, The Shawshank Redemption, The Usual Suspects, The Departed, Double Indemnity, The Third Man, North by Northwest, Rear Window (and lots else by Hitchcock), Up, Monsters Inc, The Emperor's New Groove, The Princess Bride, Forrest Gump, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, El Secreto de sus Ojos

Books: Musashi, East of Eden, Siddhartha, the Tao Te Ching, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, 1984, Macbeth, Hamlet, The Once and Future King, The Dark Elf Trilogy (and other works of R.A. Salvatore), The Earthsea Trilogy, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, The Saga of Recluce, Snowcrash, Terry Goodkind, George R.R. Martin, Raymond E. Feist.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I usually prefer to spend my traveling time outdoors, e.g. hiking, kayaking, or mountain biking. I had many moments in Antarctica, Patagonia, Iceland, Norway, and New Zealand that left me awestruck, for example the view of Lake Taupo I got while sky-diving, the discovery of the underwater world while scuba diving, and the thrill of reaching a new destination I've always wanted to visit. Growing up in Chicago I gained a great appreciation for museums, especially art museums. If I'm lucky, a good art museum can take my breath away at least once while I'm there. These days, I spend longer traveling in each country, so I can balance sightseeing with experiences meeting locals.

Teach, Learn, Share

All my life I've been a voracious reader, and I think this makes it possible for me to carry on conversations on a wide variety of topics. I enjoy discussing philosophy, books, movies, and what motivates people to do what they do. Because I've been studying math so much recently, I've been trying to find ways to describe it to non-mathematicians. Like anything else, math is driven by aesthetics and I hope that by phrasing it this way I can convince some people that it's neither boring nor evil.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Stories of traveling, hopefully interesting conversation, random facts about things I've done research on, an appetite for learning, and a sense of joy, awe, and discovery.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Andorra, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Finland, France, French Guiana, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Martinique, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Korea, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin (French part), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), Slovakia, Slovenia, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands, British, Virgin Islands, U.S., Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

Argentina, Australia, Chile, Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain, United States