Chris was born in Boulder, Colorado.  He is a product of the Boulder Valley Public Schools and Grace Lutheran Church where he was baptized and confirmed.  His formative years in both science education and faith formation came at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Chris held a work study job for all of his five years at CSU in the lab of Dr. Don Mykles.  The Mykles lab used the molt cycle of Bermuda land crabs to model the muscle breakdown seen in muscular Dystrophy. As Fort Collins, CO isn’t the natural habitat of Bermuda land crabs these animals were kept in plastic boxes with moist sand and fed lettuce and carrots.  This is where Chris came onto the scene.  After five year working in the lab with ever increasing opportunities he graduated with a comprehensive set of biochemistry research skills.  When Chris was not in the lab he was very involved with Lutheran campus ministry led by Pastor Fred Castor and later Pastor Mike Degner.  It was in this campus ministry community that he first worshiped with his girlfriend Jenny who ultimately became (and still is) his wife.

His connections at CSU helped him land a job in the Biochemistry department at the University of Utah in Dr. Marty Rechsteiner’s  lab as a technician studying the 20S proteasome from 1993-1998 .  After that  he shifted gears and worked in Human Genetics in Louis Ptacek’s lab studying the genetics and potential mechanism of the neurodegenerative disease Spinocerebellar Ataxia 7 from 1998-2000. Finally he took a position in Mary Beckerle’s lab at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in October of 2000 where he continues to work today as a senior lab specialist studying mechanisms that effect cell adhesion and migration especially as it relates to tumor metastasis.

Chris and his wife Jenny joined Mt. Tabor in 1994. They have three sons, Eric (21), Jacob (20), and Thomas (17) who were all baptized and confirmed at Mt.Tabor.  Chris enjoys running, swimming, and hiking, skiing and the occasional beer brewing and regular beer drinking.