To finish a thesis, and a doctoral program, requires the cooperation of many people. I am indebted to the staff who have taken care of my academic details while I have been a student, both at Carnegie Mellon University and Western Washington University. I have only reached my goals through the assistance of many dedicated faculty, including my undergraduate advisor Thomas Read and graduate advisor Andrew Moore.
My education was made possible by the generosity of several public and private institutions. The list includes the State of Washington, the National Science Foundation, the Haskell Corporation, and many others.
Nobody has sacrificed more during my degree, or been more patient with my progress, than my wife Jeanie. She proofread two pounds of thesis-laden paper, hoping I'd finish sooner that way. I would also like to thank my parents, who always stressed that my education came before all other endeavors. Though I deliberately misinterpreted that statement when I had chores to do, things worked out well-enough in the end.