I have many students who ask me where I am from, and how I came to Ball State University. Because it is sometimes hard to get to know your professors at a large university, some students may find this short essay useful. If any of the links here are broken, please e-mail me to let me know, and I'll fix them.

I grew up mostly in a small, revolutionary town near Trenton, New Jersey (remember, Washington crossing the Delaware ... that's near my town).  My father worked for IBM, so 'I've 'B'een 'M'oved several times.  I also lived in upstate New York and just outside Los Angeles, California.  I was involved in TVcommercials as a child and worked in summer theatre during high school.  I was also an avid swimmer and won several county and regional competitions.  I enjoyed a wide variety of interests; rebuilding old cars, reading (a lot), music, theatre, swimming, tennis, golf, horseback riding, and camping are only a few of the things I did regularly as a youth.  My favorite music was The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel and classical music.

I went to Fordham University in New York City and majored in English drama and literature (I wanted to be an English teacher).  I was also on the swim team my freshman year, but I was over-involved in theatrical activities and exploring New York City.  I went to many Broadway shows while I was an undergraduate.  My favorite music was Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel and classical music.  After graduation, I worked briefly for Fordham as Director of the Phonothon, and then I moved to Washington, D.C. to study film at American University.  I did not complete my degree at American (too expensive!), but I enjoyed life, went to theatre, and became a really good waiter and Maitre 'd at the best restaurant in Washington.

After a few years of working as a waiter and paying down my student loans, I taught high school for one year in Florida and then another year in Maryland.  These experiences convinced me that high school wasn't for me, and I resolved to finish my graduate work and teach college.  I attended the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) and earned both my M. A. and my Ph.D. there.  While at UMCP, I also worked with several advocacy groups, most notably the International Purple Ribbon Project for Violence and Abuse Awareness and Prevention, and the American Coalition for Abuse Awareness.

I taught part-time for Mary Washington College, UMCP, and the University College of Maryland.  In August 1997 I was hired by Ball State University as an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance.  I coordinate the department's participation in the University Core Curriculum (Theat 100) and serve as a historian and director.  My favorite music is still those groups and individuals I've already mentioned, though I listen to lots of jazz, new age, and progressive music as well.

I come from a large, Irish-Catholic family, and we've always had pets (dogs and cats mostly, but also horses, ponies, and an occasional mule).  My parents still live in Pennington, but my sisters live all over the U.S. (and I have four of them).  Maggie, the next youngest from myself, lives in Vermont with her husband, Karl ... an ex-Green Bay Packer, and their three children.  Kate, the next down, lives outside Boston with her husband, Bob ... who is in the computer industry, and their three children.  Molly, the second youngest, is deaf and lives just outside of Washington, D.C.  Ann, the youngest, graduated from Harvard with her MBA and lives in Wisconsin where she works for General Electric.  My wife, Dr. Laura Shue O'Hara, teaches here at BSU in the Communication Studies Department (and she's a wonderful teacher!).  We got married on May 19, 2000 (yea)!

I've now been at BSU for several years, and my wife and I have a 'dogaughter,' Melanie, who is spoiled. I have been lucky to have won several awards here, including Excellence in Teaching (twice!), Lawhead Teaching Award, and Outstanding Junior Faculty.  I'm no longer a junior faculty member, having been promoted to Associate Professor in the spring of 2003.  I've also been very fortunate to have been named a Virginia B. Ball Fellow in 2002, and in 2007, I was named the "Sursa Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts." I am the faculty advisor to the undergraduate theatre honorary, Alpha Psi Omega, and I write, direct, and act in a variety of shows and venues.