I was born in 1964 in Poughkeepsie, New York. My family moved to San Jose, California in 1980 and I've been living in the Bay Area ever since. I graduated from Leland High School in 1982 and attended the University of California at Berkeley. I received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from UC Berkeley in 1985 and a master's degree in electrical engineering from UC Berkeley in 1986. Four years for a master's degree is about as fast as possible.

My most distinctive feature is long hair! I've had long hair since about 1990. This photo was taken in 2005, and shows what my hair does when it's windy. I have long hair because hair is supposed to be long - it's my body's own natural hairstyle.

My other distinctive feature is that I'm a vegetarian. I've been a vegetarian since 1987, and a vegan for most of those years. People are vegetarians for one of three reasons: ethical, religious, or health. I'm a vegetarian for ethical reasons.