Certifications earned: Divemaster, ERD 1 Dive Technician, specialties in underwater photography, wreck, deep, dry suit, and nitrox. 

Why I scuba dive? As a professor at Carthage College, my initial interest was in exploring underwater biodiversity and teaching Carthage students about environmental risks that coral reefs face presently. I continue to enjoy exploring diverse underwater environments from the Pacific Northwest to the Caribbean. I have also become fascinated with wreck diving, both learning about the history of the ships, how they ended up at the bottom, and exploring these underwater museums that are a testament to human engineering, and often human frailty. 

My favorite dive site? The USS Kittiwake in Grand Cayman. This submarine rescue ship was purposely sunk to create an environment for biodiversity development and a tourist destination for divers. Much of the dive is spent inside the ship which was safety prepared for penetration prior to sinking. A highlight is a decompression chamber that divers can swim into and stand up in, leaving one's head in an air pocket at 60 foot depth.