What does it mean to be human?

How did we become human?

How is humanity changing?

As a student of anthropology and psychology, these are the big questions that occupy my thinking. They always have. I hope that my writing will encourage you to search for your own answers to these questions. I hope that we can have a serious dialog about the meaning of the questions, as well as the answers. I hope that my writing will promote a greater search for understanding of who we are as humans, where we came from, and where are we going.

Now, about me: I retired in 2019 from a 42 year, 11 month career in the Federal Civil Service of the United States. The first 25 years were as a civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force, the last 17 years, 11 months were as an employee of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). I am educated as an engineer specializing in aerospace vehicle dynamics and control. I have a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering (Mechanical Option). I spent the academic year 1985-86 in the Guidance and Controls Lab at Stanford University as a candidate for the Degree of Engineer in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. I completed the required course work, but my thesis project was incomplete when returned to work.

Upon retiring, I enrolled at my local community college, Cerro Coso Community College, as an anthropology major. In May 2022, I was awarded Associates in Arts for Transfer degrees in both Anthropology and Psychology, as well as an Associates in Arts degree in Liberal Arts--Social and Behavioral Sciences. I have been admitted as a graduate student to the Foundations of Anthropological Knowledge Certificate program at California State University Northridge.