Who am I?

A cool guy! (according to my parents, and really would they lie about that?)

I’ve been lucky enough to have some truly unique experiences that have shaped the person that I am today, from my personal life to the researcher that I’ve become. It can be hard to convey who you are as a person beyond a resume, block of code, or conference presentation. With that in mind, I wanted to share some personal details and experiences alongside my professional expertise, so that you can learn about the person you might want to work with.

Outside of work I have two really sweet (and slightly unhinged) dogs Cadbury and Rupert, with a wonderful, supportive partner who’s stuck with me despite ‘living in the matrix’ (what she calls my work). They are the core of my life, and I wouldn’t have become a successful researcher if not for them.

Some of the most important information about me:

  • I’m a Vancouver Canucks fan (like most Canucks fans, I have a lot of strong hockey opinions). With the expansion of the PWHL recently, the Vancouver Goldeneyes and Ottawa Charge have also joined my rotation of must-watch teams

  • My baseball team is of course the Bluejays, but I also like the Pirates as my National League team

  • I love watching soccer in the Bundesliga, Serie A, and Eridivisie

  • For my Australian family, I’ve gotten really into Aussie Rules Football (Freo!)

  • I watch cycling (The grand tours, but also the spring classics), but the domination by a certain state-owned has diminished that love in recent years.

  • I also love playing sports when I can, though my hips object to me being a hockey goalie.

  • As a huge nerd, when I’m not posing for pictures for my personal website, I play Magic the Gathering and have a deep love for role-playing games. Specifically, the RPGs I love come from Old-school renaissance (OSR/NSR) zines and systems (recommendations include Mothership, Dolmenwood, Old School Essentials, Mausritter, Cairn, Mythic Bastionland, and so many others), focused on survival in dangerous situations through creativity and resource management. The indie-RPG hobby is full of incredible artists, and each adventure module or system is a work of art that is severely underappreciated. Please try this hobby and support these independent creators!

I try to get outside as much as I can, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, camping, canoeing, and hiking.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel when I can get the time, having been to 7 provinces, 15 U.S. states, driven across the country twice (I really can’t decide which side of the country I want to live on), and I’ve been to 18 different countries. I really appreciate that my partner lets me take us on detours to look at really cool, really old piles of rocks (even if they’re no longer in any discernable shape after ~3000 years). I was also (lightly) stabbed when working abroad in an English Pub (but, again just lightly stabbed, it’s fine).