Science & physics inspired me
I have enjoyed science from as early as I can remember and upon entering 9th grade, physics teacher, Ted Barnhart, allowed me to enter independent study a year early. He just opened the door to a lab full of lasers, transistors, patch panels and measuring equipment and let me loose. I can’t thank him enough for this head start.
How I got here
In the 1970’s I found an unused darkroom and began processing black and white photos, shooting and editing photos for the high school yearbook. I also poked around and discovered a carbon arc projector way up in a dark booth above the back of the auditorium. I learned how to get it lit and running. By my senior year at high school, an independent research project on “Aerodynamics of Tractor Trailer Trucks” led me to the International Science Fair in Cleveland, Ohio.
Later, at Penn State for eight years (BS and MD), I built a hammered dulcimer and played in an old time string band perhaps developing an ear for music and the subtle frequencies of sound.