1) Which of your current endeavors are you most passionate about? What is the biggest challenge you face?

I’m very passionate about making distance learning events accessible to teachers. Current technologies are sometime cumbersome and difficult to access for educators. Easing access to events broadcast over our networks is a big challenge for me. Hopefully, evolving desktop videoconferencing software and mobile technologies will help make the tools available on Internet2 more accessible to teachers.

2) Who inspires you these days?

Whenever I need inspiration I always read Once a Runner by John L. Parker. The main character, Quenton Cassidy, is a miler who overcomes great adversity to reach his goals.

3) Imagine a world where you are unconstrained by bandwidth. How would it change what you do and the people you serve?

We currently offer “fieldtrips” that are restrained by access to bandwidth. Most locations have hardwired internet access. Unfortunately, this limits us to specific locations. If there were no bandwidth constraints, we could literally make the world available to our students, taking live video conferences anywhere. Nothing would be off limits. Caves, national parks, coral reefs, and remote archeological sites would all be accessible.

4) You are in an elevator. How would you describe what you do?

Look at the numbers, but then realize everyone looks at the numbers in an elevator so try to break from the mold and be a little different.