What is the most unusual job you've ever held?
Camp counselor at a YMCA day camp. Keeping track of 15 five year old boys brought a lot of genuinely weird experiences.
All-time favorite book:
I have three: The Bible, Great Expectations, and To Kill a Mockingbird
If you had to choose right now where you would spend the rest of your life, where would it be and what would you do there?
Johnson City suits me just fine. I plan to continue teaching until my time on earth is done.
Sum up your life philosophy:
Treat others the way I'd want to be treated.
What was your first job?
Busboy in a formal dining restaurant.
What is your hometown?
I was born in Queens, New York, and lived in Edison, NJ until I was 12. My family then moved to Sumter, South Carolina, and I stayed there until I went to college in Pensacola, FL. I essentially stayed there until 2007 with brief periods of residency in Auburn, Alabama. Pensacola feels to me like my most recent "hometown".
What is your favorite food? If your favorite food is not common to this locale, please tell describe it.
Pizza. As close to New York style as possible. Probably my favorite is from Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn. I still remember visiting there as a child.
Why did you come to ETSU?
Love the topography here, the weather seems milder than Florida, and the departmental opportunity and people were great.
How long have you been at ETSU?
Not long at all. My first semester here will be Fall 2007.
What surprised you the most when you first came to ETSU?
How friendly everyone is. When we first visited the area we noticed that even the people working in Walmart were friendly! (The stores in Florida seemed to be always "out of stock" of that attribute.)
When you were 10, what did you want to be when you grew up? How about now?
When I was younger I wanted to become a fine dining professional chef. (After I learned how hard a job it was and the crazy long hours, I decided being a teacher was a much better alternative. Most of the teachers I've met still have all their fingers. Can't say the same for most of the professional chefs I've met.) Now I can't imagine doing anything other than teaching and the occasional consulting project.
Favorite indoor activity:
If I put taking a nap here that would probably sound really bad, so I guess I'll go with playing games with friends.
Best book you've read lately:
Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy by Vincent Bugliosi
What is the biggest accomplishment in your life up to today?
Marrying my wife Dianne. Finishing my doctoral work would be second.
Describe any research or special projects you've been working on:
I'm very interested in the design of online stores. Although the really good ones have made tremendous strides in usability and functionality, the average online store design is largely a disaster. Whereas the best seem to be getting much better, the industry overall is going to have to improve if it is to continue to grow.
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