I grew up on my grandfather's farm in northern Ohio. He took me into the woods to hunt and onto the lake to fish. Solitary hours in the fields, woods, and on the lake provided opportunity to ponder the elegance and power of nature. The ordered beauty of crop rows and the concentric ripples on water's surface made an impression on me. Coupled with a religious upbringing, my faith embraces the notion of a universe created and sustained by a supreme being. A degree in physics fuels my inquisitive nature and reinforces my astonishment at the intricacies of life and the physical processes that drive our universe.