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After graduating from Heights, I went to the College of Wooster, where I continued my strong interest in violin and chemistry. I was fortunate to study violin under Michael Davis during my 4 years at Wooster, but gradually realized that I could be a scientist and have music as a secondary interest, but not the other way around. It was a professor in the Chemistry department at Wooster (Ted Williams) who influenced me to be passionate about science (he was also close friends with Michael Davis). As a graduate student in chemistry at Northwestern University, I found it difficult to keep up the violin, so I stopped playing and never went back. However, I have kept the connection and certainly enjoy the Chicago Symphony, the Lyric Opera and other music events, of which there are many in the Chicago area. Although I never intended to stay in Chicago, when I was finishing my postdoctoral work at the University of Chicago, my mentor persuaded me to stay on as an assistant professor and I have been here ever since. My research has focused on breast cancer and I am currently Chairman of the Ben May Department for Cancer Research. One of the perks of academic life is traveling to scientific meetings around the world, so I have been able to visit many countries and continue to do so. I have definitely enjoyed my career as a researcher and educator. Equally rewarding are my two children, Kirsten and Alexa. Kirsten lives in Bellevue, WA and Alexa is living in Chicago where she is a teaching assistant at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. I have been happily married to Marianne since 1992.
