I first came to Oswego in 1981 after receiving my PhD in mathematics from Penn State.  My original area of research was Polynomial Identity Rings and my thesis adviser was Professor Edward Formanek.  My other professional interests include teacher preparation, Number Theory and mathematical modeling. I have been Chair of the Mathematics Department since 2004.  I often find aspects of this role rewarding but the favorite part of my job remains teaching.  I have several hobbies and all of them take place outdoors.  I am an avid SCUBA diver and often dive right off of our campus.  I also am interested in archery and spend a fair amount of time "in the woods".  A friend from our Biology Department jokingly calls me an "Applied Biologist".