My major track is Maritime Studies which reflects my interest in NOAA’s Maritime Heritage Program. It is committed to preserving historical, cultural and archaeological resources within the National Marine Sanctuaries. The Maritime Heritage Program's mission is to protect, promote and explore America’s maritime heritage through a national program embracing heritage resources. I was employed by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources in Historic Sites Archaeology as a staff member before returning to school and have extensive terrestrial field school experience and laboratory analysis of artifacts. I am completing my PhD in Coastal Resources Management to complement my Cultural Resources experience with environmental training as a Natural Resource scientist. I am an avid diver. My wife Gail and I love to travel and meet new people in foreign lands. We have two “wild and crazy” Golden Retrievers.
Focus of Research– I am interested in all aspects of Maritime Heritage and Eco-Tourism. Specifically, the affects of tourism and migration of populations to coastal margins and their affects on coastal cultures/heritage preservation. My dissertation title is Exploring Change along North Carolina’s Southern Outer Banks: The Case of Harkers Island. I have traveled extensively throughout many coastal areas worldwide and am also very interested in the affects of tourism and development on islands in the Caribbean Basin.
