Born in Illinois, Michael Watson moved to the desert of Southern Nevada and quickly fell in love with the basin and ranges of his home, and the desert southwest in general. Mike earned his M.S. in Mathematics while at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 2002, and was published in the Journal of Combinatorial and Computational Mathematics. When not working or studying, he spends a great deal of time trad and sport climbing, hiking and cycling. He has taught at U.N.L.V., Idyllwild Arts Academy and is currently teaching at Crossroads High School for the Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, CA.