From his youth, Dr Mike Wise has always been interested in science. His passion for geology was shaped in college when he took his first geology class. Everything about rocks and minerals came easily to Mike and he quickly pursued this area of science. First, completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia, and then going to pursue his Doctorate at the University of Manitoba with one of the world’s leading experts in pegmatites. Mike now works for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, doing research on pegmatites from all around the world.