Education and Employment

Education

• June, 1996 M.S. Earth Science, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL.
• June, 1993 B.S. Environmental Biology, Northeastern Illinois University.
• September 1973 - August 1975 No degree. DePaul University, Chicago, IL
• August, 1973 St. Scholastica High School, Chicago, IL

Memberships and awards

• Operations Director, The 37th Annual Great Arcata to Ferndale Kinetic Sculpture Race. 2005
• Secretary, Ferndale Garden Club. 2003-2005
• Board merit award, "For outstanding achievements and contributions to the advancement of The Chicago Herpetological Society," December 2003.
• Geological Society of America 1993 to present.
• American Association of Petroleum Geologists 1995 to present.
• Society for the Study of Amphibians & Reptiles 1991-1997 editorial review board. 1992-1994 Long-range Planning Committee.
• Chicago Herpetological Society 1985 to present. Board of Directors 1988 - 1991.
• Council of International Programs. Board of Directors, 1978 - 1980.
• New Zealand Herpetological Society, honorary membership 1991 to present.
• San Diego Herpetological Society, honorary membership 2005.

Academic

• September 2002 to June 2003 -- College of the Redwoods, Eureka, California.
  Part-time lecturer, Hoopa K-T Campus.
  • Biology #10 Introduction to Biology, Lecture and Lab - Fall 2002
  • Environmental Science #12 Environmental Ethics - Fall 2002
  • Environmental Science #11 Climate Change - Spring 2003
• June 2001 to August 2002 -- University of Chicago
  Teaching assistant to Dr. Paul Sereno "Stones and Bones" field class in Niobrara County, Wyoming.
• June 1998 - June 2001 -- Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, Illinois
  Part-time instructor to visiting lecturer.
  • Geology, Resources and the Environment #123 - ten courses
  • Introduction to Earth Science #121 - eight courses
  • Physical Geology #211 - three courses
  • Historical Geology #212
  • Principles of Sedimentation #317 - two courses
  • Glacial and Quaternary Geology #315
  • Geology of the National Parks #308
• January 1997 - June 2001 -- Trinity Christian College, Palos Park, Illinois
  Part-time instructor.
  • Geology #101 - five courses
  • Human Ecology #102
  • Geography #201 - two courses
• October 1995 - November 1998 -- Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois
  Naturalist Certificate Program Instructor.
  • Illinois Geology - Glaciers and Tropical Seas - two courses
  • Reading the Landscape of Northeastern Illinois - two courses
  • Writing the Landscape - Maps and Mapmaking
  • Rocks to Soils
• Click on course descriptions and interdisciplinary class information.

Writing and Editorial

• September 3, 2005. In Print Frogs: Inside Their Remarkable World. Firefly Press, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Project started June, 2003.
• May 2004 to August 2005. "Behind the Stage Door," biweekly theatre column and occasional cover story for the North Coast Journal, Arcata, California.
• November 1986 to present. "Herpetpourri" - News and notes column in the Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society.
• 1990 - 2000. News and notes column in the Vivarium, published by the American Society of Herpetoculturists.
• October 1995 - January 1997. Editorial board The Encyclopedia of Chicago History Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois.
• January 1991 to June 1997. Reviewer Herpetological Review Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas.
• 1994 to 1995. Editor The Network Illinois Association of Environmental Professionals, Chicago, Illinois.
• 1992 to 1995. Independent, student newspaper of Northeastern Illinois University. Managing editor, January 1992 to December 1992; Editor-in-chief, January 1993 to September 1993; member editorial board, September 1993 to December 1995.
• See my Publications page for a full list.

Experience before degrees

• March 1991 - 1993. Independent contractor to the Illinois Department of Conservation, Division of Natural Heritage. Studied and reported on status and distribution of Illinois chorus frogs (Pseudacris streckeri illinoensis) and Eastern massasaugas (Sistrurus catenatus).
• February 1986 - December 1991. New View Energy Control Systems, Chicago, Illinois. Field supervisor, lead installer of glass, building materials and energy-saving products for residential and commercial, low- and high-rise properties. Most New View jobs were high and in functional buildings.
• September 1982 - February 1986. Springer Construction, Inc., Chicago, Illinois. Foreman, estimator and field supervisor for general construction firm specializing in masonry, sandblasting, and tuckpointing. Springer specialized in unique high and difficult jobs including building jacking and moving, rigging, scaffolding and high platform work.
• August 1980 - September 1982. Ironmonger Hardware, Chicago, Illinois. In charge of showroom displays, catalog service, international ordering, 20,000 piece manual inventory and paper to mainframe computer conversion preparation in the office as well as building construction, repair, hardware installation on building sites and estimating.
• September 1978 - March 1980. Mid Town Bank and Trust Company, Chicago, Illinois. Secretary to President, later assistant to head of Loan Department. Manual interest computations, general ledger balancing, monthly director's reports, commercial and residential real estate documentation, title search, loan servicing, repossessions, supervised paper to mainframe computer conversion.
• January 1977 - April 1978. Merchandise Mart Buyer's Service Department, Chicago, Illinois. Central information desk, buyers' file maintenance, and systems analysis for mainframe computer conversion.