I graduated from Dartmouth with an AB and BE in 1973 and became interested in biomedical engineering and metallurgy. As a graduate student at Thayer I merged my interests and developed technology that provides high-strength, porous metal coatings on orthopedic implants to permit bone to grow into them for biological fixation. After graduation I stayed at Thayer and began teaching engineering design and expanding my orthopedic research.

My collaboration with Michael Mayor began during my graduate years and he is the driving force behind the orthopedic implant retrieval program that has become one of the largest in the world and a mainstay of our research efforts. John and Barbara Currier have carried out much of the cutting-edge analysis, and Douglas Van Citters is a frequent collaborator. The five of us have found joy in working together and have trained many students in applying problem-solving techniques to orthopedic problems concurrent with the teaching of the design courses. Having colleagues who are good friends has made all the difference.

I met my wife playing pond hockey and have built a pond in my backyard just the right size for hockey in the winter and swimming and fishing in the summer. My Zamboni produces a great ice surface while at the same time providing the excitement associated with testing whether the ice strength is really sufficient to keep from going through.