I received my Ph.D. from Caltech, specializing in astrophysics, and I wrote a thesis hypothesizing a peculiar star resulting from a normal star "swallowing" a neutron star. Recently it appears that such a star has been found.

I received my B.A. from Rice University, majoring in physics and chemistry.

I have a teaching credential from California.

I have taught almost my entire life, either one-on-one with a student or in front of a classroom. I started tutoring when I was in high school, continued through college, and have tutored almost every year that I was not in front of a classroom. I have fifteen years classroom experience, fourteen years teaching physics and chemistry at all levels: general ed, honors, and AP, and one year teaching sixth-grade science.