Q: Where are you from?
A: I was born in Ohio, but we moved around a lot. My parents and family still live in Florida, so I guess I can say that I grew up mostly there.
Q: Where did you go to school?
A: I went to Liberty just up the road in Lynchburg for my undergraduate degree. I went to graduate school in George Mason in Fairfax, Va. I did all my schooling in Virginia, but never here at U.Va.
Q: When did you start teaching at U.Va?
A: I came here last fall, so this is my first year. I absolutely love it. I am thrilled to be here. Before I came here I taught at a small liberal arts college in Michigan called Hillsdale College. The best students there were good, but here most students are good. There are few drop outs, few bad students. It's a lot of fun to teach.
Q: It must be different to teach at a liberal arts school and then teach at a school this size. What do you think?
A: There certainly is a difference. In my Investment class last spring [at Hillsdale] I had only four students. In four different classes in total I had 51 students if you added up everyone. I really like the interactive lecture style with questions and answers. In my 202 class where I have 500 students in each lecture, I just have to stand up there and lecture. But for nine years, I had lots of questions asked to me so now I know what students want -- I know what they anticipate even if they don't ask.
Q: Do you like the teaching or the learning side of education?
A: Teaching is a lot harder -- you have to be really prepared. It's more rewarding to help other people understand the material. I look more forward to class because I don't just have to sit there and take notes.
Q: How do you like Charlottesville?
A: Me and my family love it here. I have three kids who are 9, 11 and 13. They are very happy here and love the weather so much more than when we were in Michigan. There are a lot of good restaurants and good shopping which are a lot better than where we were before. My wife is thrilled. We used to live in the Washington, D.C. area and that was too much traffic and too crowded for us. Charlottesville is just the right size.
Interview by Defne Gunay
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