Introduction

I came to the University of Michigan in 2005.  Prior to that, I was an NSF Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian CfA, a graduate student at MIT, and an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania.  I am continually energized by the ideas and drive of our diverse and active research group, by my colleagues around the world, and by the students in my classes.   My roles in a number of new telescopes, approved missions in development, and new mission concepts keep me thinking about the future, which is sure to be very bright for studies of black holes and neutron stars.  Past team members got their starts in Algeria, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Ecuador, Ireland, Korea, Lebanon, Malaysia, Romania, South Korea, and even Ohio.   As long as you respect others, there is always room in the team for excellent postdocs and fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates.