Our May 2012 MULSA Spotlight Award winner is Dustin Hoffmann! Congratulations, Dustin!
Dustin is a User Support Analyst in Library Technology Services (LTS). He’s been with MU at MU Libraries since 2001, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. He originally hails from Washington, Missouri. He has a sweet tooth, and prefers white chocolate-covered fruit.
Geocaching is a primary hobby for Dustin:
My primary hobby is geocaching, a treasure hunting game involving a hand-held GPS that interprets longitude and latitude. As a friend puts it, “we use multi-million dollar satellites to find tupperware in the woods.” I’ve been featured in both the Columbia Missourian ( http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2012/07/05/local-geocachers-share-their-experiences-sport/ ) and the Columbia Tribune ( http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/jul/24/marks-the-spot/ ) in regards to this sport. More information can be found online at http://www.geocaching.com/faq/ . Fun fact: There’s a geocache hidden in Ellis Library!
The hot pursuit of tupperware in the woods has led Dustin to many interesting places. “One particular location, Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park near Manchester, Tennessee, comes to mind. Two branches of the Duck River converge at the end of a plateau, and the waterfalls are simply spectacular (not to mention fun to swim through!). Many different cultures have inhabited the area and left their mark.”
In a movie of his life, Dustin Hoffmann jokes that Dustin Hoffman could do a fair job of portraying him (Dustin Hoffmann). But, in the event that Mr. Hoffman is unavailable, Mr. Hoffmann believes that Matt Smith would tackle the role, though “it’d be pretty mundane in comparison to his other works, though.”
If he could have been born in a different time, what time would Dustin choose and why?
This is supposing that I have a time machine and could transport a younger version of myself to another time and place without causing a paradox. Given that any point in time is a reflection of an infinite combination of past and future events (according to Einstein, anyway), this is conceivable if a bit tricky to get right. After all, returning to my version of reality would be nearly impossible!
In all seriousness, though, the present is just fine. One’s environment shapes who they become, and I wouldn’t be who I am without the people I’ve known or places I’ve been.
When asked what real or fictional person Dustin would enjoy having a drink with, and what drink? He says that Samuel Clemens would be an interesting man to meet. “A little internet research indicates he liked a particular brand of cognac called Otard. I’d probably leave all the drinking to him.”
In lieu of a photo, Dustin provided a very cool inked sketch by local cartoonist Josh Nichols.
Congratulations, Dustin!
