I wanted to be three things when I grew up: classical musician, pilot and mad-scientist. And so, I AM a classical musician! I'm an organist & choirmaster at an Episcopal Church. I AM a pilot! I fly planes. I'm working on my CFI (certified flight instructor) license. AND I DO work as a data scientist! I'm at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine conducting research on topics related to data use in medicine. I go to school for physics. All of this puts me in the realm of mad-scientist.

I enjoy woodworking (badly), computer programming/hacking (22 languages), classical music composition, and being a lover. I am a philosopher, a traveler, mathematician (I love math). I have tried to write poetry, do home construction, cook (love to throw elaborate dinner parties), study buddhist meditation, Fence (foil), I run and swim. I adore reading and collect books (building my own library).

This website is for you to follow my adventures - Click on a menu below to view more. And I give you this advice: If you want to do something, do it - don't let anyone tell you that you can't, live life, love deeply, feel the breath in your lungs and experience what you can!

While science is my mind and flight is my love, Music is my heart and life. I was raised with the idea that music would be my career path. I studied opera at Temple University, but, while I love to sing, the genre of opera was not my artistic vehicle. So, I studied composition also at Temple (Composition was what I wanted to study as a child). But soon turned to the organ, studied privately at several different institutions and then formally at Westminster Choir College.

I am the organist and choirmaster at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. I also give an occasional recital (watch this space one is coming soon) and am working toward my Colleague's Certificate with the American Guild of Organists.

Ever since my parents took me on a flight to see my grandparents when I was young, I have loved airplanes, flight and airports. I loved the flight deck with all the controls and flashing lights. I loved looking out the window from high above in the sky.

I came late to piloting aircraft, but there is little I love more than being in the sky. I especially love the romance of the "steam gauges" and propellers - no "glass" and jets for me. By 2013, I hope that I will have my C.F.I. license (certified flight instructor) so that I can teach others...

I love Science, Math and Logic. I work at University of Pennsylvania in Data Science on a National Cancer Institute grant. I assist other researchers with their computer - programming - math needs. I have given lectures on Data Science, Medical Vocabulary Structures and Bio-Banking Data requirements at various institutions and conferences. Most recently my research "Design and Validation of a Thyroid Specimen Database and Diagnostic Tool" (vonMenchhofen, et. al.2011) was selected as a finalist poster in the best laboratory practices division at the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) conference.