| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | When I was a child, my grandpa would take us fishing. We'd cram the seven of us into his old motorboat and cruise for circling seagulls to find fish. After a few hours on the water, we usually pulled three bluefish. It's funny to recall that I did not enjoy eating the fish, just catching them. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I identify most closely with my older brother. We both enjoy discussing video games and politics. Now that he works as a corporate lawyer, we unfortunately spend less time together. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I admire organization and the ability to identify important details in a complex environment. As a political scientist you are awash in irrelevant data as politicians dissemble and jockey. It takes real skill to pick out the minority of statements and events that strongly shape future outcomes. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | When I was ten, I was climbing a rock wall in a harness with my classmates. I had not recently urinated, and I soiled myself. I was hanging 50 feet in the air in front of 100 classmates. I was so embarrassed I refused to return to class, but my mother made me keep up a brave face. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | I would rent a sailing yacht and cruise the islands of Indonesia. I love the adventure of traveling outside the tourism hotspots. There are still beautiful places where locals are surprised and happy to meet travelers. It is a rare pleasure. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | I would pass on to them knowledge of their own natural environment. My elementary school had detailed programs on the local flora and fauna, so I felt connected to our land. I would make sure they could have direct experience of nature. |
