Rich's life was not much different from others growing up in Wyoming. As a youth his summer time activities consisted of playing baseball, earning money by mowing lawns, and causing mischief with friends. He often went camping and hiking in the mountains close to his hometown of Laramie. However, living in Laramie was not all fun and games. Due to its high elevation (i.e., 7,200 ft) the winters were long and cold, often lasting six months or more. Under these conditions he had plenty of opportunity to shovel snow, and when he was not shoveling it he used it as a building material for snowmen, snow forts, and snowballs for snowball fights. Unaware that the rest of the northern hemisphere enjoyed all four seasons, Rich spent much of the year blissfully shoveling snow and frolicking in frigid subzero temperatures.

Immediately after graduating from high school, Rich entered college at the University of Wyoming. In his first year of college, he filled his spare time by deriving the integral equations in the inside cover of his calculus textbook and proving theorems in his linear algebra text. His friends told him that this behavior was abnormal, and that perhaps he should either pursue a degree in mathematics, so he could justify these odd habits. So following his friends' advise, he pursued a degree in mathematics but was often distracted by subjects such as organic and analytic chemistry. He discovered that he was assembling the tools to answer questions for which he had long sought answers. It also became apparent to him that in order to reach the frontier of science he would have to enter graduate school, but he was undecided as to which area of science appealed to him the most. Was it chemistry or mathematics?

So Rich took a year after graduation to teach undergraduate math classes at the University of Wyoming and used this time to decide which path he should pursue. He soon found himself teaching people who did not exactly share his enthusiasm for subjects like calculus, statistics, and probability. This saddened him. So he filled his time by taking graduate courses in mathematics and chemistry to explore his interests further. He took classes in subject areas such as abstract algebra and real and complex mathematical analysis. It was during this time that he took a class in quantum chemistry. Here he discovered the fascinating mysteries of molecular physics. It seemed as though he had entered a universe separate from the one he was living in. He had found an area of science that combined the exciting subjects of mathematics, chemistry, and physics.

Quantum chemistry called to him. So he packed his belongings and headed for the Department of Chemistry at the University of Utah to study theoretical chemistry. Located in the foothills of Salt Lake City, Utah, the chemistry department provided a rich atmosphere of scientific study and an opportunity to meet people who shared his enthusiasm for science. He also found himself living in a place that had four seasons - a world that he wasn't sure existed prior to his departure. It was at the University of Utah where he could advance his education and design software to simulate gas phase chemical reactions.

Although he was steeped in scientific thought and discovery, his personal time was not entirely dedicated to science and learning. He also learned about the chemistry of love from a beautiful woman named Katie (a.k.a., Thuy Duong). In spite of all his faults, four long years of dating, and numerous proposals, she finally relented and married him. However, Rich failed to realize that when he married Katie, he became to her family more than just a son or brother-in-law. It was as if he had married the family. He struggled with this idea at first, but he had plenty of opportunity to ponder this new arrangement after many sleepless nights on the couch.

After Rich completed graduate school he accepted a position as a research associate with the Materials Science Department at the University of Utah and waited for his wife to complete her pharmacy degree. He studied transition state complexes in alkaline battery reactions. During this time, he learned of a profession that allowed a person to stay current with the latest technology, but without the long grueling months or even years of work needed to see a single research project through to completion.

He had discovered patent law - an occupation where a person can work at the frontier of science. He realized that in order to pursue this career path he would need a law degree. So, Rich and Katie loaded up a moving truck and headed for Tulane Law School located in New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans was a nice place to live. During the school year, Rich and Katie ate at many fine dining establishments and attended numerous crawfish bowls. He also discovered his wife's fear of large insects, in particular, cockroaches. However, in spite of Katie's phobia, she supported him through three years of law school with few complaints. To this day she continues to provide him with the friendship and emotional support he cherishes so much.