Dr. David J. Thomas is a native of Yakima, Washington, but currently resides in Batesville, Arkansas. He was almost three years old when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon, and has been interested in space exploration ever since. Broadly educated in biology and other sciences, Dr. Thomas has worked in industry, government and education. Among his experiences, Dave worked at a small research company in Oregon that helped to develop the life support systems for the Space Station. He has also worked at summer programs at NASA's Ames and Kennedy Space Centers. Currently, Dr. Thomas is a professor of biology at Lyon College, where he is also the campus representative to the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium. Dr. Thomas actively pursues research in astrobiology, and is interested in all space missions that provide insight into the evolution and distribution of life in the Universe.