Motivation

John lived in such a small town where everyone knew who he was, knew his parents, and his siblings. He resided in this area until he attended undergraduate school. His relationship with everyone back home was strong and help make him into the person he is today. Everyone is rooting for him to be successful by being very supportive and always checking up on him. John's biggest motivation is his family. His family constantly encourages him to stay in school. John would be the first person in his family to obtain a PhD. His family pushes him by telling him to keep going until he run out of degrees to climb. The more degrees you have the better chance of success you have in finding a job. Another source of motivation for John is his advisor at FSU. He's like a mentor to John: he doesn't just give advice, he's a role model by balancing his work life and handling situations with professionalism and class. He's incredibly kind and humble, John looks to him for advice and mentorship.

Research

John’s current research focus in the Department of Geography is genetically modified mosquitoes, specifically ones that have been used in trials throughout the world and in potential trials in Florida, another reason why being at FSU worked out, in the sense that they might be using genetically modified mosquitoes in Florida to fight and control local mosquito populations. People are concerned about releasing genetically modified mosquitoes into existing populations. John is interested in the use of genetically modified mosquitoes and in people's knowledge and perceptions about them, specifically where they'll be used in communities in south Florida.

Passion

John is most passionate about teaching in a way that brings the world’s problems to the front of our eyes. He does this by discussing issues that are currently taking place around the world in his lectures. He uses his position as a teacher to provide knowledge on real-world issues that aren't getting enough coverage. He likes to bring these issues to class and discuss it, and this may inspire someone to attempt to solve the issue in their field. His goal is to inspire and get his students passionate to take care of these problems. He hopes to contribute to their educational process and who they want to be in the future.