I am an outdoorsman and Nature lover who has been blessed with freedom and a few useful talents. I am grateful to have been taught generously by my family, friends and colleagues who have enabled me to discover a sense of purpose and belonging. Presently, I am a Ph.D. Candidate in the Cognitive and Brain Sciences (CAB) Psychology Program at the University of Minnesota, and I feel very fortunate to be part of the vision science community.
Since childhood, I have been fascinated by nature and the human condition—I felt a desire to fill an intellectual void. I wanted a challenge to discover my capabilities and potential, so I chose a path through academia. This has allowed me to answer troubling philosophical questions and to give my mind a workout.
My present research interest involves navigation and wayfinding. When performing a task such as path planning and avoiding obstacles, we use incomplete information to make decisions about what actions to take. We must do this rapidly, often under demanding and sometimes dangerous conditions, which include driving in the dark or fog, or when walking with limited vision.
My desire to make the world better in some way has inspired me to start an organization to raise money for the restoration of sight in impoverished blind children. I am creating and selling digital photographic art, and all profits will be donated to a charity that gives sight to these children.