Aug 08
Background
 
Born and raised in Papua New Guinea (first ten years; born July 19, 1962) to Lutheran Missionary parents.  Home-schooled the first three years.  Grew up in a rain-forest with the same stone-age people studied by Jared Diamond (then an ornithologist).  Jared is a family friend.  I later entered the sciences because of Jared and other scientists like him who would visit our remote station.

I have studied Western and non-Western medicine, earning a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University (specialty: limb prosthetics and amputee functionality).  I have also informally studied Feldenkrais and Reiki and other energy methods of healing.  I graduated Valedictorian from Mira Mesa High School in 1980.  My undergrad degree in Engineering is from Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA.  After graduate school I suffered through a long period of unemployment as I worked to develop a funded position for myself at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Long Beach, CA, before moving to La Mesa and teaching math in the Grossmont Union High School District.  I began working as an Air Quality Inspector at the Air Pollution Control District, San Diego, in 2001 (current job, which I really like). My experiences substitute teaching and being an environmental regulator really taught me to “think on my feet” in challenging situations.  I am committed to affecting change to and through the political process.

Continue reading »