FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)
How do you manage to juggle three careers?
Which vocation do you like best?
What do you want to do with your life?
What's your philosophy of teaching?
What are your views on life and society?
How old are you?
I was born on July 20, 1969, the day Apollo 11 landed on the moon.
If my math skills serve me correctly, that should make me about 24. (Back
to top)
How do you manage to
juggle three careers?
Very carefully. It's difficult sometimes. I wish I could say that I can
simultaneously do all three equally well, but the truth is that often the pursuit
of one career begins to interfere with the others. My professional career creates
the largest demand on my time, and it is here that I put my greatest priority.
When I get cast in a play I often work until rehearsal time, rehearse until
10:00 or later, and then come home to eat and try to learn lines. It can become
exhausting at times. One good thing about academic research, and now medical
writing, is that the hours are flexible, and I am more concerned with being
productive than with the hours I work. My work day ends once I have accomplished
my objectives, not when the clock strikes a certain hour. When I have an upcoming
scientific conference I almost never commit to a performance. Also, modeling
auditions and jobs can sometimes take large chunks of time out of my day or
week. Conversely, when I spend large amounts of time doing science I begin to
suffer from a lack of creativity and spontaneity during auditions. I become
a little "brain-heavy" and it becomes difficult to open up emotionally.
During these times my creative work sometimes seems stilted and unoriginal,
but fortunately it seems to be only temporary. Due to practical considerations,
non-scientific writing is always my last priority. If I am taking a break from
theatre and have a little free time, that's when I generally get a chance to
write. These days that usually means one week at Christmas... (Back
to top)
Which vocation
do you like best?
All of them. At one point I thought I disliked science, but it was
a time in graduate school when I was frustrated with negative results and spending
an unhealthy amount of time in the lab. Now that I have again become productive
I have rediscovered my fascination with science. But I need balance in my life.
Science offers me the chance to use my brain in analytical ways. Theatre allows
me to utilize my powers of observation and to express myself in a creative,
physical way. Writing allows me to express myself in a creative, intellectual
way. Teaching gives me a format for reaching others. All of these things are
important and necessary to me. (Back to top)
Do you have any spare
time?
Not really. I rarely watch TV or see movies, which is not necessarily a good
thing for an actor. A friend of mine who is a director in Hollywood told me
that I need to see more movies if I want to become a successful actor. But right
now I just don't have the time. Whenever I get some free time I try to exercise:
I love almost all sports, especially volleyball, racquetball, and swimming.
I also play softball, football (backyard or flag), soccer, and a little bit
of basketball (poorly...). If I'm not doing a play at night or have a free weekend
I try to spend the time with my friends and family, who are the most amazing
and supportive people in the world. They think I'm a little bit nuts, but they're
supportive anyway. (Back to top)
What do you want to
do with your life?
If I could do anything I wanted, I would probably choose to be a film actor.
I have worked on a few small films and two large ones (Big Fish, Soul of the
Game), and the entire process interests and excites me. As an actor, I consider
myself a tool for the director. For me, the most challenging aspect of being
an actor is helping the director accomplish an overall vision. I have worked
with some amazing directors and actors, and there is no greater sense of accomplishment
than feeling the growth of a great ensemble production. If acting in film isn't
in the cards for me, I would love to become a writer, a public speaker, or an
advocate of education, all of which I have done in the past. My involvement
with educational outreach gave me the opportunity to balance creativity, intellectual
discipline, and performance (teaching) while having a significant impact upon
the education of America's youth. It was extremely rewarding to me, and I would
like to return to it on an even higher level. (Back
to top)
What's your
philosophy of teaching?
I have always enjoyed teaching. I have taught at all levels from jr. high to
medical school, and to me it's all the same. I believe that the process of learning
is inherently rewarding and fun, and that (despite occasional grumbling) people
actually WANT to learn. The challenge as a teacher is to make the material relevant
to the students and to present it in a way that is both challenging and fun.
I teach science because it is what I know, but to me the information imparted
is secondary to the learning process itself. If you teach somebody a fact, they
will probably forget it. If you teach them how to think and reason, they will
become a benefit to society and will eventually teach others. Before I left
Alabama I was involved in educational outreach and reform, where we developed
creative methods for bringing science into the local schools, primarily inner-city.
We had remarkable success. The ChemTeach
program that I taught, as well a city-wide genetics course, enabled high school
students to attain a very high level of scientific proficiency. A few of my
students reached a level comparable to Ph.D. candidates in their first or second
year of graduate school. The potential benefit of such outreach efforts is staggering.
(Back to top)
What are your views
on life and society?
I believe that most people are basically good, but we're also a self-centered
and greedy lot. We need to realize that society is comprised
of individuals, and that, although we can't change society or other people,
we can at least change ourselves. We should think about what we (as a society)
are doing to our world, and understand how our own personal actions contribute
to either the preservation or destruction of our delicate resources. If I could
teach everyone in the world one thing, it would be this: "Constantly and
consistently imagine a world in which every single person does the same things
that you do. Is it a better place or a worse one?" Also, most people are
never taught how to view things from other people's perspectives. In my opinion,
there is no time for grudges or hatred or prejudice which detract from all of
the positive aspects of life. Only by putting yourself in other people's positions
and seeing the world through their eyes can you begin to understand them. This
can best be accomplished by opening your mind to life's experiences and educating
yourself on a wide variety of topics and philosophies. (Back
to top)
What motivates you?
I have been blessed with many gifts and talents. I believe that I am driven
by a higher power to utilize these talents and to try to be a positive influence
on the people I come in contact with. Since I only have one opportunity to live
my life, I want to experience as much as I possibly can in my short time here.
I believe that experiencing new situations, thinking about concepts and philosophies,
and feeling a gamut of emotions are all important aspects of life, and I want
to influence others to grow through these types of experiences as well. Through
the living of my life, I would like to challenge others to learn and feel and
experience as much as they possibly can--to work toward their own goals and
to discover a contentment and happiness within themselves. As a teacher, I would
like to teach people how to learn, how to feel, how to love, and how to live
happily and in peace. (Back to top)
Are you religious?
I guess so, or at least spiritual. This is a touchy subject in the scientific
world where atheism is commonplace. It's also a touchy subject in the Southeast.
If you're sensitive about such issues, please skip on to the next paragraph--I
have my own opinions and not everyone will agree with them. I've never been
much for organized religion, but to me life is meaningless without some sense
of a higher order. I believe that religion is a very personal topic that each
individual must wrestle with for him or herself. We all have questions, and
we must all come up with answers that are appropriate for our own lives. I have
certain guiding principles and a code of ethics in my own life that I don't
force upon anyone, but which I'm always happy to discuss
if asked. One of my pet peeves, though, is organized religions that are judgmental
of other people's beliefs. It's not our place to judge others. If you believe
in a God, leave that judgment to Him (or Her...). (Back
to top)
Are you single?
Yes. And I love to meet and date people, but I don't have time for much more
than that at this point in my life. My life is absolutely crazy-hectic, and
it's often unpredictable. As I mentioned, I work by the job and not by the clock,
so I get finished when I'm finished and the time is often irrelevant. It works
in my world, but I fully realize that it doesn't in most other people's. To
date me seriously is a continuous act of frustration, patience, and futility.
I make no apologies here--I always try to warn people on the front end... On
a lighter note, I have dated some of the most incredible people in the world,
and most of them are still good friends. Some I could have even married, but
the time is still not right. This website, and in fact my whole life, is dedicated
to all of those close friends and family who have loved, helped, understood,
forgiven, and stood by me throughout all the good and the bad times in my life.
(Back to top)
Site Credits
This site was created using Dreamweaver
3 (Macromedia), an awesome web-design program that takes a little time to
learn. Special thanks to Jeff
Gale, Terry
Dillard, Daniel Golden, and Jason Stanko for their technical assistance,
to Geoff Knight
for some photographs, and to Malinda Blair for testing the site and volunteering
her feedback and typing skills.
****************
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web site, please e-mail mlm35209@yahoo.com.
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