Where did you grow up? Larned, KS (on the prairie).
2. If not from NWA - what brought you here? I was hired as a faculty member by the University of Arkansas in the Biological Sciences Department. I moved from Florida where I was a researcher at the University of Florida. I love NWA, but I still miss being 45 min from the beach
3. Marital status, spouse’s name and children's names? I am married to Christine Daugherty (since 1992) and have two kiddos, Kyle (16) and Aaron (14). One kicks my ^&*% in tennis and the other could do the same in soccer if I played.
4. Other than tennis what do you do for recreation, relaxation, hobbies? I go to tennis and soccer tournaments around the South Eastern U.S. to watch my kiddos play tennis and soccer. There is little time to do more so my relaxation and recreation is socializing with other parents who do the same.
5. What do you like most about your current job and what do you dislike? I love to work with researchers and technical people like myself and with students to create useful products and information from basic research. It is the main reason I started a company with my colleagues at UAMS and direct a research group at the U. of A. I dislike the pressure of competing for federal grant funds that support my university research and technical staff…If I fail to get research grants, technical staff who have worked for me for years will lose their jobs…in that sense my job at the university is much like running a small business.
6. What is your current NRTP ranking? Having gotten bumped up last Fall, I have a ranking of 3.5, but I often feel like I am trying to rise to that ranking with my real level of play.
7. How many years have you been playing tennis? 4yrs
8. What prompted you to play tennis regularly? I was too old to keep playing men’s softball and had quit playing an organized sport by my early 40s. Watching my son Kyle play tennis and seeing people of all ages at the tennis courts reminded me of how much fun it was to be active in a sport. That said, I am still looking forward to playing ‘regularly’…summer is about the only time when I can say that I play every week at least once.
9. What is your favorite thing/enjoyment about playing tennis? There is always a new skill to learn and a new skill level to achieve. I can have fun just serving by myself for an hour. Then there are the people that I play with or against, who are almost always enjoyable and interesting. What’s not to like.
10. What is your own favorite tennis shot/worst? My favorite shot is a heavy topspin forehand from the baseline that accelerates and elevates after it hits in the opponent’s court. But just because its a favorite does not mean I have found consistency with this shot. I hate trying to hit a high backhand because the footwork and timing are difficult to coordinate.
11. Is there any life lessons learned by playing tennis? For me it is persistence and patience. I wish I was so good at tennis that I had to learn to be humble…but that lesson is not something I face often in tennis.
12. What is your most memorable accomplishment playing tennis so far? Believe it or not, there are too many memorable accomplishments to name just one…and they did not always involve winning the match…but I wish I had won them all 13. Do you have a particular pet peeve that tennis opponents do that bother you?Not yet…even the ‘scream’ breathing that some male opponents do (to imitate Sharpova) is not bothersome…but I have to keep from laughing.
14. Do you learn more from your wins or losses and why? To quote a friend who is a tennis coach, there are winners and there are learners. I am still learning a lot.
15. What is your favorite NWA restaurant and why? Bonefish…the menu and atmosphere reminds me of being near the ocean.
16. If you could have dinner with a famous person - dead or alive - who would it be and why? Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. He is a visionary in how technology can be used to change the way people interact or live there everyday life. I would love to brainstorm with this guy.
17. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? I don’t think I hold too many surprises…not after this interview.
18. When I was 10, I wanted to be… a professional baseball player.
19. Books I would suggest to a friend -The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
20. Favorite movies…. Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Arc), Bull Durham, and Casablanca
21 The person I most admire is: Too many to name including my wife.
22. The last book I read was …..The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
23. The guests at my fantasy dinner party would be: The list is too long, but would include: Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton, Sandra Bullock, Rachel McAdams, Jennifer Garner, Don Tyson, Greg Allman, Kenneth Cline, Frank Broyles, my wife and many friends from NWA. This would be an eclectic gathering, but full of interesting people to talk with before and after dinner…and dinner would be a BBQ held outside in late September.
24. I ‘ve been fortunate to….be married to Chris, have two wonderful children, and find a job/career/friends that I enjoy most every day.
25. One word to sum me up……Optimist
No comments:
Post a Comment