I moved to Chicago from Los Angeles in August 2011. I am a Ph.D. student at UIC. Here are a few of my interests outside of school.

Animals

I really love animals. During my (limited) spare time, I volunteer at the John G. Shedd Aquarium as an interpreter in the Guest Engagement department. My favorite marine animals are sharks. At the Shedd, I especially enjoy telling guests about the sea otters, the octopus, and the beluga whales. I give Behind the Scenes tours of the animal hospital and gallery areas as well.

My cat Lily lives with me here in Chicago. I love her.

I grew up in San Diego and I am still a member of the World Famous San Diego Zoo. Every day I watch Xiao Liwu on the Panda Cam. I remember when Bai Yun's first cub, Hau Mei, was born in 1999. I'm really enjoying watching this cub grow up.

On October 25, 2013, I got to participate in a Beluga Encounter at the Shedd Aquarium.

It is one of the best things I've ever done in my life.

Magic

In April 2010, after visiting The Magic Castle for the first time, I began taking magic classes. After three months, I auditioned and became a member of the Academy of Magical Arts. This is me with my friends Ashly and John in the entryway of The Castle during my most recent visit.
	This is my membership pin.

I try to visit The Castle whenever I am in California. When I am there, I usually do a set in the Museum Room, an area for members to give impromptu shows. I perform close up magic, mainly with cards. Unfortuantely, I don't have any photos of me performing, as the club has a strict 'no photos' policy.

Running

I started running in February 2012. My first race was the Krispy Kreme 5k. In April 2013 I ran in the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8k. In September 2013, I ran in the Chicago Half Marathon and the Cosmic Run 5k.

I hope to run in the Chicago Marathon in 2014.

Music

When I lived in LA, I played drums in a band called Park Place with 3 fellow math grad students. We mostly played classic rock covers with a few originals. We never made it out of the garage though.

My favorite genres are indie pop and 80s music. You can see what I've been listening to here.

The thin walls in my apartment prevent me from playing drums very often, but I do play guitar once in a while. Here's a song I made up for my answering machine.

Glass

I haven't had much time for this recently, but I really enjoy working with stained glass. You can look at my projects here.