About David:
I’ve spent almost my whole life in Lincoln (childhood, high school, undergraduate, and graduate). Every time I’ve tried to leave a better opportunity pulls me back here. I have a wonderful wife of six years, Elizabeth, and three amazing and crazy children, Roman (5), Henry (3) and Eleanor (1).
What is your position at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln?
I am an assistant professor of practice in the Biological Systems Engineering Department. I am primarily responsible for teaching all aspects of our MSYM 109 and AGEN/BSEN 344 courses.
What drew you to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln?
Being from Lincoln, I grew up a huge Nebraska sports fan and went to several football games in the 90’s. At the end of high school, I knew I wanted to pursue some form of an engineering degree but was undecided on what area. Being uncertain, the cost of instate tuition in addition to scholarships at UNL made the most financial sense for me to attend UNL. After completing my undergraduate degree, I applied to several graduate schools but the best opportunity was to complete an environmental engineering master’s degree here. After graduate school, I was presented with the opportunity to work as a lecturer in our department while pursuing a Ph.D. part time.
What aspect of working in an educational setting do you enjoy the most?
Definitely interacting with the students, particularly when they are trying to expand the course topics to something the student is passionate about. The ah-ha moment when a concept finally clicks for a student is one of the most rewarding experiences for an instructor. The mentoring that faculty get to provide to undergraduate students as they transition to the professional world is also very rewarding.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Recently, signing up for and completing the Lincoln Half-Marathon this year! More generally, completely building our entire online course for MSYM 109.
What is something that most people don’t know about you?
I was one of the original members of the UNL dodgeball club founded back in 2005.
What is your life like outside of work?
Lots of family time. My kids and I have a pretty vibrant vegetable garden. We are going to build a tree fort this summer. We are becoming more active in our local parish church. I play basketball several times a week, either at the rec enter or in the city rec league. On top of all that, I’ve been working on a Ph.D. part time which requires most of my non-family attention outside of my typical work activities.