Mike Strauss earned his Ph.D. in developmental biology at the University of California, Irvine studying floral physiology. He went on to study the biology taro, Colocasia esculenta, and its relatives in Hawaii and the South Pacific on the faculty of Northeastern University, Boston. But in 1986 he departed academia for a new career in science and policy in Washington, D.C. There he was part of studies in biodiversity and global genetic resources at a Congressional office, and National Academy of Sciences. As director of the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science he worked with science and policy leaders throughout the scientific community. But in 2003 he turned to the USDA Agricultural Research Service directing their Office of Scientific Quality Review. It was there, in 2015, that he was introduced to Randy Olson and subsequently oversaw introduction of ABT and narrative to USDA many USDA scientists. Since retiring in 2018 he has continued to collaborate with Dr. Olson to develop the current Narrative Framework course and other ABT resources. His work with Dr. Olson continues to bring the skills of clear, concise communication to the scientific community. Dr. Strauss is an elected AAAS Fellow (1994), Research Associate of the Missouri Botanical Garden, and accomplished horse trainer and coach for the sport of equestrian vaulting.