Mark was raised in Troy, Missouri. He was a member of the high school FFA and participated in baseball and football. In 2009, he graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor’s in Forestry. Following graduation, he worked full-time as a Forestry Technician in Ottawa, Kansas. He was responsible for consulting with landowners on land management and water quality issues, presenting information on land management, planting and spraying trees, and creating forestry management plans. He also worked in a seasonal position for the Kansas Forest Service as a wild land firefighter. In the summer of 2010, he went to Montana to work as a USDA Inspector/Hand Crew member for the US Forest Service.

With the Stein Lab, he assisted Kate and the graduate students with research trials and helped with the daily care of the research pigs. 

In my free time, Mark enjoys hunting, fishing, watching Cardinals baseball, and being outdoors.