David is pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated from Bucknell University with a B.S. in the same major in 2006. During his freshman year, David suffered a C4/C5 spinal cord injury while skiing during winter break. Prior to his injury David played on the tennis team for all four years of high school. He enjoyed many outdoor sports like skiing, scuba diving, mountain biking, and rock climbing. After completion of his graduate work, David hopes to work in the industry, in the field of chemicals research and development, general process modeling or perhaps in the energy and alternative fuels field. His current research focuses on designing a chemical process to assist with removing carbon dioxide from the emissions of coal-fired power plants. David and his family have been very involved in Swim With Mike and raised more than $35,000 this year alone. The Van Wagener family plans to continue their efforts to support Swim With Mike long into the future and David will continue to serve as a role model for future Swim With Mike scholarship recipients.