Bowdoin Social

Average number of browser tabs open at any one time? 12-15 tabs — too many. The steady stand-bys are Facebook, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Gmail, and assorted news pages.. And then, of course, there's Bowdoin's CMS and various other sites where I'm doing work.

First job? Food microbiologist at a frozen food factory. Green beans, peas, carrots - I tested thousands of pounds for the likes of E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and other culprits.

Hobbies? I collect photos of vanity license plates and the stories behind them. I have 2,500+ photos so far of just Maine plates and published a book, The Maine Plate: Maine Vanity License Plate and Their Meanings. My own license plate? WOOT (on my motorcycle)

If I didn't live in Maine: I'd live in the Pacific Northwest. I lived in Oregon for 10+ years and loved it there. Oregon and Washington are beautiful and everything is bigger than life out there -- the trees, the mountains, the ocean.

Been there, done that: Self-employment. I left Bowdoin in 2006 to start and run my own business, which I did for five years before selling it. Business ownership was always something I wanted to do, but there's nothing like paid vacation, health benefits and working at Bowdoin (I returned in October 2010).

Doppelganger: The elf, Hermey, from the stop-animation “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Favorite movie quote: “I don’t think the heavy stuff’s going to come down for quite a while.” Carl Spackler, Caddyshack .

Hidden talent: Mowing. I worked on grounds crews from high school all the way through college and grad school. To this day I can lay down (by eye, mind you—oh, the pride of a turfman!) pin-straight stripes.

Favorite piece of clothing: New Balance lycra hat. I wear it x-country skiing, hiking, cycling, running, doing yard work—most versatile piece of gear I’ve ever had.

I think I'm addicted to: Combos. So, so bad—but I can’t stop eating them!

Guilty pleasure: Reading “Sports Illustrated” cover to cover every week the day it arrives.

Coolest job-related “perk”: My involvement with the BOC, especially the tele ski program.