In school most of my teachers were good teachers, but a couple told me that I was not smart enough to achieve my dream of exploring space. Some fellow students also called me names like "Moon Man" and stuff like that, but I was not going to let these things stop me from fulfilling my life long dream.

I received my BS degree in Geology from the University of Alabama. The reason I wanted to study geology was because I ultimately wanted to learn about the geology of other planets, especially Mars. I was the only person in the Geology Department who was interested in "Astrogeology": most were interested in petroleum geology and working for oil companies. I then went to Northeast Louisiana University for my MS degree and did detailed geologic mapping of a region that contained evidence of enormous floods and possibly lakes on Mars. I was also accepted for an Astrogeology internship position at the United States Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Arizona, during this time. This job enabled me to meet and work with some of the leading Astrogeologists in the world. It was a very rewarding experience. I obtained my Ph.D. at Arizona State University where I specialized in the study of the geomorphology of the channels and landforms on Mars.