A native of Wisconsin, Jim Barry graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a PhD degree in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics. Then he embarked on a three-decade career in research and development, rising to become president of one of the top firms in the country. His technical range was broad including two-phase flow and heat transfer, aerosol dynamics, medical device design, chemical/biological protection, and computational fluid dynamics. He co-authored a number of technical papers and holds multiple patents. That career was cut short when he suffered a skull fracture and ensuing cerebral hemorrhage (yes, he was wearing a helmet) in a mountain biking crash that left him with limited mobility and ability to verbally communicate. He lives with his wife in New Hampshire.