What is your favorite season, and why?
Carnival here in New Orleans! It’s a festive time where friends and family gather and new life-long friends are made during the course of porch gatherings, parades, balls, etc. School bands start to practice in the streets so you get excited as soon as you hear the first horn or drum beat. Mardi Gras Krewes begin to prepare their specialty throws for the days they roll. My krewes, for example, give out specially bedazzled sunglasses (Iris), and cups (Cleopatra). You begin to also spot dance troupes practicing in the parks and streets (I dance with the Muff-a-Lottas)! It’s an energy like I have seen nowhere else that just infuses not just the city, but the region.

Describe your office: what’s the story behind what people see when they walk into it?
My office is filled with bookshelves of science text books - it’s like a library and fitting for a geeky patent attorney. On my walls, I have the artwork of James de la Vega displayed – he is an amazing graffiti and street artist from East Harlem NYC (and a personal friend).

If you could only eat one dish for every meal, what would it be?
Carne asada – a simple dish my grandmother would make that was oh-so-ever-perfect!

What do you do to get your focus back when you’ve lost it?
Take a walk – if in the office, just a quick few-block stroll; if at home, leash up the dogs and walk the neighborhood.

What advice would you give your teenage self?
Buy Apple Stock! In all seriousness, it would be to cherish those times with family to make special memories.

If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be?
Antiquarian books – specifically medieval texts. I find them FASCINATING!
What do you like most about being a part of the Annual Meeting Planning Committee?
The camaraderie and teamwork, but also being a part of creating an experience.

What are you most looking forward to about the 2022 Annual Meeting?
Seeing friends and colleagues in person after a long stint of social distancing. But also getting to share my city with all of those attending! The Crescent City is so unique, magical, with so many secrets!

What is one thing everyone visiting New Orleans for the Annual Meeting should not miss?
Watch one of the parades that will roll either on Saturday or Sunday before the meeting starts, or on Wednesday after the meeting ends. And if possible, to watch it Uptown near my neighborhood. This way you can experience the actual family friendly festivities that are really representative of the carnival season.