[Wayne C.]

I try to balance my personal interests with my school teaching obligations and of course the coaching of team 25.

In the summers I volunteer/work for the state museum on dinosaur digs out in the Montana frontier. This summer I hope the remainder of the Troodontid skeleton we got pieces of two years ago shows up. Ive been going on various expeditions in paleo and zoology topics since I was 13. (as a kid I would find interested adults and set up the trips- they do the driving and such)

I recently was involved in starting a mineralogical society at the local university and we are looking to make a regional database as to species and occurrences for NJ. Ive been collecting minerals for 40 years and some day I will sit down and photograph them all (about 2000).

I also like to get out in the woods with my camera and binoculars and see what birds and reptiles I can scare up. I used to breed hundreds of colubrid snakes but I passed that on because of the enormous care needed for my rodent colonies. My bio class at school used to raise most of my mice in their genetics projects.

Of course being long term happily married I also enjoy spending time with my wife and family. Grandkids are nice because you send them home when they get messy....

Frankly Ive been looking for something new to discover. My health has been compromised lately and I will soon be retiring and I want to put my brain to good use. There is still a whole lot to learn.

Summer is soon upon us. For the students out there, let me suggest that in the free time you have each summer take some time to try some new interest or topic. Pick something totally different every year and diversify your knowledge. Robotics is great but think of how much power you can develop if you can apply all you have learned to a whole gamut of topics and directions.

WC