A.J. was born in Boston and currently resides on Cape Cod in Eastham, Massachusetts. He earned a B.A. in History with minors in Underwater Archaeology and Leadership Studies from the University of Rhode Island in 2015. After graduation he commissioned into the United States Army Reserve, branching military intelligence, and has spent years supporting the Intelligence Community. As a civilian, A.J. worked for years in research and development supporting U.S. Navy science and technology programs. His love of oceanography, marine science, and biology grew into a passion through his work with the Navy. Completing night classes, studying whenever time permitted, and attending scientific conferences, he committed to gaining science knowledge and research opportunities, and understands the non-traditional student path in depth. A.J. is currently pursuing an M.Phil research degree at College of the Atlantic, studying marine science, biochemistry and data science with research interests in marine mammal biology, acoustics and biologically-inspired technologies. His future goals include earning a Ph.D from the MIT/WHOI Joint Program, and a Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator certification (NSCA). In his free time, A.J. likes strength training, backpacking, hiking, camping, and cooking.