David was born and raised in Reading, PA. He completed graduate studies at the University of Tennessee earning a M.S. in physics in 2014 and Ph.D. with a concentration in atomic, molecular, and optical physics and a graduate minor in computational science in 2016. He specializes in the line shapes of atomic, hydrogen especially, and diatomic emissions of transient, low temperature plasma. In his free time, David can most often be found in the mountains skiing, rock climbing, or hiking.