Joe's Intro

I am a 5th year PhD student in the department of biology where I study evolution. Specifically I study sexual reproduction with the big-picture question: Why is sex so common? I got my BS at University of Kansas and did my MS at Kansas State (can't seem to leave the midwest!).

I am taking the writing class because while I think I am a competent writer I know I have a lot of room for growth and would like to help others as I improve. Right now writing is difficult for me and something I generally procrastinate about so my hope is that by getting to be a better writer I will be more inclined to write and I will find it more enjoyable. The biggest complaint I get from my advisors is that I overuse parentheses (but I can't seem to help myself sometimes).

My wife and I just had a baby girl named Margo. We are having a great time being parents and still trying to figure out how to balance our schedules and still have plenty of quality time with Margo.

In my off time I like reading, movies, and video games (they keep me sane as I work on my degree). I am currently reading Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami. One of my favorite qualities of this author is how he spends time describing the mundanities of life (making meals, cleaning the house) while telling a mysterious, deep story.

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