I grew up in a small town in upstate New York, the son of a research chemist and an elementary school teacher. I always had an interest in science, but this really took off in 8th grade when I started reading books on physics, especially nuclear and quantum physics. Of course, most of it was above my head, but I continued to read and learn.

In high school and through college, I switched my primary focus to business, but I never lost interest in physics. I ended up working for Dell for a number of years, and then a processor chip design company which was eventually bought by a Taiwanese company.

By now, I was married with a daughter and started volunteering at her school, helping English as a Second Language students improve their reading skills. I loved seeing their progress and joy in growing their competence in a key skill for their academic - and life -- success. That experience convinced me that my next career move would be as a teacher, so I went through a teacher education and certification program in Texas and landed a job teaching high school Physics. I figured I'd do that for three to five years.

I stayed for 19!

I would still be there but for my wife accepting a job at the University of Miami. The move actually seemed like a good opportunity to retire and to write my book about learning physics basics, called Physics: Try This at Home.

And as these things go, on a walk around our new Miami neighborhood, I started chatting with someone who was volunteering with Exchange for Change. I had initially become interested in the US prison system after reading Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow. I saw this as my opportunity to use my teaching experience and career in technology to expose incarcerated students to the fast-developing world of Artificial Intelligence.

After auditing a class taught by Professor Michael Gillespie at Everglades Correctional Institution, I was convinced this was something I could do and would love doing! With help and guidance from the E4C staff, I got trained and taught my first class in the fall of 2023 at Everglades Correctional Institution.

I absolutely loved it! It was the most personally fulfilling teaching experience I'd ever had. Discussing the exciting topic of AI with such intelligent, thoughtful, and imaginative thinkers and writers was simply wonderful.

I want to thank the staff, and especially the students in my classes at ECI and now at Homestead Correctional Institution (because why stop at one class when you can teach two!), for the opportunity to be part of this important and enlightening program.

I look forward to participating in many more Exchange for Change semesters. Thank you all!