Tess and friend after completing a Tough Mudder.

Dale Easley is a Professor of Environmental Science at the University of Dubuque, which he joined in 2005 after 15 years at the University of New Orleans. He has been a volunteer math teacher in Kenya, a volunteer working on water wells in Haiti, and a Fulbright Fellow in Qatar. His interests include environmental geology, statistics, and the intersection of science and culture. Currently, he focuses upon storytelling in science and creative non-fiction. His writing has appeared in Folded Word, Blueline, DeadHousekeeping.com, Contours, Big Muddy, Barstow and Grand,and others.

"And this I believe:
that the free, exploring mind of the individual is the most valuable thing in the world.
And this I would fight for:
the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.
And this I must fight against:
any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual.
This what I am and what I am about."

East of Eden
John Steinbeck