What is your job on the ship? RNA Team Lab Technician

How long have you worked on Atlantis? This is my first cruise on Atlantis.

Where are you from? I'm from the Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada.

What is the most unusual thing you have seen on a cruise? I'd have to say the flying fish. I've never seen them before.

What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten? I was out having sushi with friends one night, and one of my friends talked me into trying a quail egg — yuck!! I'll never eat another!

What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you? The scariest thing that ever happened to me occurred while working as a ski patroller at Squaw Valley. I was doing avalanche control early one morning and had bombs in my backpack. It was a stormy morning with a lot of electricity in the air. While hiking along a ridge, carrying my skis on my shoulder with bombs in my pack, I began to feel the metal edges of my skis shock me THROUGH my gloves. Yes, I was scared. We were told if anything like this happens to you, drop your pack and get out of there. We called the boss on the radio, told him what was going on, and promptly skied off the ridge.

If you didn't have this job, what would be your next job of choice? Veternarian for an aquarium.

What's the hardest thing you've ever had to endure? Running 26 POINT 2 miles. I say "POINT 2" because after running 26 miles, the last 0.2 seems like an eternity.

Where's the coolest place you have ever been? Why? I know others must be saying this, but after this trip, I have to say 2,500 meters under the sea. A close runner-up is at the top of Mt. Shasta.