I was born Feb 11, 1975 in Lancaster Ohio, followed two years later by my little brother (Kid). Mom claims I was an easy child. My parents were both school teachers, my father has just retired. I was raised until I was 14 in Lancaster Co. Pennsylvania. My brother and I were home-schooled for 6 years, until I entered 7th grade at Garden Spot Junior High School. Our family often went hiking, Kid and I were on a swim team, and I took Piano lessons for quite a while.

I attended High School at Escuela Caribe, a boarding school in the Dominican Republic through 11th grade and finished 12th grade at Lancaster Mennonite High School in Lancaster PA in June of 1992. Following High School I attended Dickinson College in Carlisle PA. I became a psychology major my freshman year and graduated Cum Laude in May of 1996. During my 4 years of undergraduate work I studied abroad in Ireland at University College Galway for 1/2 a year. While there I traveled in France, Italy, Spain, England, and Scotland. During my college years I also worked at a camp for troubled youth in Ontario, and as a Dana Intern at the Dickinson College Childcare Center.

I became a psychology major expecting to go into Clinical Psychology of Law. As I took classes I realized that I was much less interested in working with abnormal people than in helping normal children and families. A few classes in Developmental Psychology, especially research classes, brought me into this field. I came to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in June of 1996 to work with Craig and Sharon Ramey and have been enjoying my time here for the most part while working long hours.

Another major life event of mine took place at UAB. I was directing a project when I hired Regina I. Fountain to interview mothers receiving childcare subsidies. We were married on March 12th, 1999 in at Villa Serena in the Dominican Republic. With this marriage I also adopted a son, AJ, and we just had a new son, Cassady, AKA Wild Thing.

Please also see my backpacking guide to Alabama and the web page for the Alabama Hiking Trail Society: AHTS Website

Copyright 1999 - 2002, M. Lee Van Horn.  Unless otherwise indicated I own the copyright for all material on these pages.