© 2026 Dr. Tory Schaaf • Court Experience Research Initiative • nonprofit project page • building in public
Tory’s World
Springfield-style command center • bright • weird • useful
🏴‍☠️🧭 MN BREAKING
🟦⭐ MN ⭐🟦
🚨 SCANNER
🚨🚨
🛠️ DEV CHAOS
🌈✨
LIVE Booting… 🍩 Donut Mode
MISSION
A bright, friendly “command panel” for Minnesota dad-life + science + community. Weather, radar, traffic links, daily headlines, and rotating joy — without fragile dependencies.
DAILY HEADLINES
WCCO KARE11 KSTP FOX9
Loading headline strip…
Tip: If you later want real headlines automatically, we can wire RSS feeds (no Pro required) — for now this always works.
DATE / TIME
LOCAL
--:--
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WEATHER NOW
MN
--°
Feels --
Wind --
Rain --
Loading weather…
NEXT 24 HOURS
SCROLL
Loading hourly temps…
Tip: drag sideways →
RADAR SNAP
OPEN
Radar tile
MN radar tile
Loading radar…
TRAFFIC
LINK MODE
I-494
I-694
I-35
I-94
MN-77
Tap a source: 511MN + local news. (We can wire real red/yellow/green later.)
DAD JOKE REEL
ROTATE
Booting jokes…
Cycle: 10s • Source: local deck (reliable)
🚨 NEW: ASL practice poster v1 is live — improvements coming weekly!
🤖 AI + Dad Mode: 3D hand models ✅ … copy/paste gremlins 👀
🧠 Goal: clearer visuals + Deaf community accuracy + family learning tools
💬 Join the discussion in the website forums (tips + ideas welcome!)
🚨 NEW: ASL practice poster v1 is live — improvements coming weekly!
🤖 AI + Dad Mode: 3D hand models ✅ … copy/paste gremlins 👀
🧠 Goal: clearer visuals + Deaf community accuracy + family learning tools
💬 Join the discussion in the website forums (tips + ideas welcome!)
🤟 ASL • Fingerspelling

Learning to Fingerspell “MADI” 💛

A dad + daughter learning project — built with photography + layout tools + AI-assisted design ideas (work in progress).

🧠 What this is (plus an honest AI rant 😅)

This page is part of a learning project between a dad and his daughter to practice fingerspelling in ASL. We can generate fancy mockups and even 3D hand concepts… but then we get humbled by the ancient boss battle: copy + paste. 😂

  • Shows fingerspelling for M-A-D-I with example references.
  • Goal: clarity, warmth, repetition, confidence — not perfection.
  • We need better, standardized, easy-to-access visual databases for ASL handshapes.
  • Tools should prioritize clarity and Deaf community accuracy.

Dad joke 🥁: I tried to teach the alphabet… but it kept “signing off.” 😄

😂 Dad joke of the day: Why did the letter “M” bring friends? Because it loves forming a “crew”! 🤟
🧩 Update: Next build = cleaner hand crops + clearer letters + better ASL reference set
✨ Tip: Slow is smooth. Smooth becomes fast.
📣 Want to help? Drop ideas in the forums on DrTory.com
😂 Dad joke of the day: Why did the letter “M” bring friends? Because it loves forming a “crew”! 🤟
🧩 Update: Next build = cleaner hand crops + clearer letters + better ASL reference set
✨ Tip: Slow is smooth. Smooth becomes fast.
📣 Want to help? Drop ideas in the forums on DrTory.com
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
📚 Classroom Practice

ASL Practice PDFs

Two clean, switchable viewers — kid-friendly, print-friendly, and easy to share.

🔍 Open Full Screen
📌 Tip: If the PDF looks small on mobile, pinch-zoom or tap “Open Full Screen.”
🖐️A 🖐️B 🖐️C 🖐️D 🖐️E 🖐️F 🖐️G 🖐️H 🖐️I 🖐️J 🖐️K 🖐️L 🖐️M 🖐️N 🖐️O 🖐️P 🖐️Q 🖐️R 🖐️S 🖐️T 🖐️U 🖐️V 🖐️W 🖐️X 🖐️Y 🖐️Z 🖐️A 🖐️B 🖐️C 🖐️D 🖐️E 🖐️F 🖐️G 🖐️H 🖐️I 🖐️J 🖐️K 🖐️L 🖐️M 🖐️N 🖐️O 🖐️P 🖐️Q 🖐️R 🖐️S 🖐️T 🖐️U 🖐️V 🖐️W 🖐️X 🖐️Y 🖐️Z
🤟 ASL A–Z ticker (Wikimedia, publish-safe) Slow classroom crawl • big icons • no scripts ✅
ASL AA ASL BB ASL CC ASL DD ASL EE ASL FF ASL GG ASL HH ASL II ASL JJ ASL KK ASL LL ASL MM ASL NN ASL OO ASL PP ASL QQ ASL RR ASL SS ASL TT ASL UU ASL VV ASL WW ASL XX ASL YY ASL ZZ ASL AA ASL BB ASL CC ASL DD ASL EE ASL FF ASL GG ASL HH ASL II ASL JJ ASL KK ASL LL ASL MM ASL NN ASL OO ASL PP ASL QQ ASL RR ASL SS ASL TT ASL UU ASL VV ASL WW ASL XX ASL YY ASL ZZ
📚 ASL / AI Model Development Gallery
Swipe/scroll — it loops back to the start 🔁 (tap Preview to open)
Tip: On iPhone, flick-scroll — each slide snaps cleanly. 🤟
⏳ Timeline Counter
Sep 8, 2025 → Jun 25, 2026 • always correct • no loop
Since
September 8, 2025
days since
Today: —
TODAY
Start
Sep 8, 2025
Trial
Jun 25, 2026
Until
June 25, 2026
days remaining
Updated: —
🌈 The Story Arc
Stability → Storm → Rebuild → Fight → Reunion • synced to your dates
YOU ARE HERE
👨‍👧‍👧
Stability
home • routines • hugs
💔
Ripped apart
shock • loss • grief
🌪️
Tornado
chaos • noise • survival
🎹🎸
Rebuild
music • breath • discipline
⚖️🧬
Fight & create
court work • inventions • tools
🏆
Wins
clarity • momentum • progress
👨‍👧‍👧🌈
Reunion
safe • steady • together
🧝‍♂️🍯
Gold
relief • resources • reset
🌊🏞️
Waterfall
peace • renewal • future
STAGE 1/10
Days elapsed
Days remaining
Milestone
Estimated spend
$—
Countdown to replay
If the numbers don’t update / replay doesn’t animate, your theme is stripping <script>. The TOP banner still shows and the panel still renders.
🎞️ Replay strip (visual only — animation may depend on theme)
REPLAY
🧬 Dr. Tory Schaaf • Minnesota • Ideas in Motion
Science • Systems • Family • Future

Dr. Tory

PhD scientist • systems builder • creator. Turning complex stories into usable tools—web, AI, visuals, and real-world frameworks.

🧬 Tory Schaaf, Ph.D.

Clinical Research • Assay Development • Translational Science • Teaching
Chaska / Minneapolis, MN • Open to: R&D, cell-based assay + media development, clinical research leadership
Senior Development Scientist (Beckman Coulter Life Sciences)
Clinical Trials Leader (VA / UMN)
Patented Inventor (PhD thesis research)
Educator (Adjunct Instructor, Future Faculty Certificate)
Executive summary 💡
With 10+ years across academia, industry, and federal healthcare, I build rigorous assays and research programs that translate into real-world impact. I’ve led multi-site clinical trials, developed high-throughput FRET screening platforms for drug discovery, and partnered cross-functionally to troubleshoot and optimize complex systems. I’m especially strong at bridging disciplines—science ↔ engineering ↔ clinical—and making teams faster, clearer, and more compliant.

Experience

Executive view • Most recent first
🔬 Senior Development Scientist — Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Jul 2022 – Nov 2025 • Chaska, MN • On-site
  • Designed and executed experiments to advance product-focused scientific research.
  • Partnered with engineering to troubleshoot and optimize complex systems.
  • Led multiple projects simultaneously with strong organization and problem-solving.
Experimental design Cross-functional Delivery
🏥 Clinical Research Director + Visiting Scholar — VA / University of Minnesota
Sep 2020 – Jul 2022 • Minneapolis, MN
  • Directed clinical trials (including AI software studies in neurosurgery); authored/co-authored publications.
  • Maintained IRB and compliance workflows; supported audits, training records, and budgets.
  • Contributed to IRBs, manuscripts, and grant proposals in neurotrauma and spinal cord injury research.
Clinical trials IRB / compliance Scientific writing
🧪 Photonic Pharma — Scientist / Consultant
2017 – 2020 • Minnesota
  • Scientist + consulting support for translational workflows; assay strategy and execution.
  • Grant writing + scientific documentation support.
Consulting Assay strategy Grants
🎓 NIH K12 / IRACDA Postdoc + Teaching — University of Minnesota
Feb 2017 – Aug 2020 • Minneapolis, MN
  • Published research; supported funding through grant writing and reviews.
  • Mentored students; prepared protocols/tutorials; presented at conferences.
Mentorship Grant support Research ops
🧬 Ph.D. Research + Patent (Thesis) — University of Minnesota
Aug 2012 – Jan 2017 • Minneapolis, MN
  • Developed high-throughput FRET screening approaches for discovery of small-molecule modulators (heart failure focus).
  • Produced peer-reviewed publications and patent outcomes (thesis research).
  • Parallel work with Fluorescence Innovations (engineering + discovery execution).
HTS FRET / FLT Drug discovery
🧪 Fluorescence Innovations — Engineer / Drug Discovery Scientist (parallel)
2012 – 2017 • Minneapolis, MN
  • Built and refined advanced assay systems supporting discovery workflows; precision measurement + translation focus.
  • Contributed to grant writing and technical documentation.
Engineering Assay systems Scientific writing

Education • Honors

Compact • with Social + GoFundMe
Social + GoFundMe
Tip: you can remove any icons you don’t want—layout auto-adjusts.
Open to roles
Cell-based assay development Cell culture media optimization Clinical research leadership Scientific program management Teaching / training
Education
🎓 University of Minnesota — Ph.D.
Biochemistry • Molecular Biology • Biophysics • 2012–2017
🎓 University of Minnesota — Dual B.S.
Neuroscience + Biochemistry • Minor: Psychology • 2007–2009 • Graduated 2009
🧪 University of Wisconsin–River Falls
Biology + Chemistry (pre-transfer) • 2004–2007
Leadership: Society for Undergraduate Research (President) • Undergrad.
Honors
  • 📜 Preparing Future Faculty Certificate (UMN) • 2017–2018
  • 🏅 NIH K12 / IRACDA (TREM) • Aug 2017
  • 🏅 Ross A. Gortner Award • May 2016
  • 🏅 NIH Chemistry-Biology Interface Training Grant • Jul 2014
  • 🏅 Charles Carr / William Peterson Award • May 2014
  • 🏅 Arnold H. Johnson Graduate Fellowship • May 2013
  • 🏅 3M Graduate Fellowship • Aug 2012
Top skills
Assay development & optimization Cell culture / transfection Clinical trial operations IRB / regulatory compliance Scientific writing Mentorship / teaching Project management Data interpretation

Publications & Patents

Executive list • add links anytime
📌 Patent
US20180238901A1
📝 Selected publications
Frontiers • Cells • Science Signaling • Sci Rep

Career timeline

Horizontal • compact • scrollable • animated
📈 Executive timeline
Swipe/scroll →
2004–2007
🎓 UW–River Falls — Biology + Chemistry
Pre-transfer • Leadership: Society for Undergraduate Research (President)
  • STEM foundation • research leadership
2007–2009
🎓 University of Minnesota — Dual B.S.
Neuroscience + Biochemistry • Minor: Psychology • Graduated 2009
  • Advanced coursework + research momentum
2010–2011
🫀 UMN Lillehei — Junior Scientist
Gene therapy • FACS / cell sorting • translational pipelines
  • Preclinical workflows + protocol development
2011–2013
🧫 R&D Systems — Research Associate
Cell culture • stable clones • flow cytometry
  • Expression screening + production teamwork
2012–2017
🧬 UMN — Ph.D. (Thesis + Patent)
Biochemistry • Molecular Biology • Biophysics • HTS • FRET/FLT
  • Drug discovery platform • publications • patent outcomes
2012–2017
🧪 Fluorescence Innovations — Engineering + Discovery (parallel)
Instrument/assay systems • grants • precision measurement
  • Engineer + drug discovery execution in parallel with PhD
2017–2020
🧪 Photonic Pharma — Scientist / Consultant
Assay strategy • translational support • grant writing
  • Research execution + consulting support
2017–2020
🎓 UMN — NIH K12 / IRACDA + Teaching
Mentorship • training • publications • research ops
  • Built teams + teaching pipelines
2020–2022
🏥 VA / UMN — Clinical Trials Leadership
IRB/compliance • study ops • manuscripts
  • Multi-site trials; budgets, audits, training
2022–2025
🔬 Beckman Coulter — Sr. Development Scientist
R&D execution • troubleshooting • delivery
  • Optimized complex systems with engineering
(If Elementor preview ever shows “no animation,” publish/refresh — the timeline stays visible by default.)

Jobs radar

Two tickers • offset timing • one-click searches
© DrTory.com • Built for recruiter impact ✨
Cross+Compass Daily
A daily faith dashboard • verse • reflection • prayer • community
📖 Verse of the Day
Auto-ready (with optional WP proxy)
KJV
2 John 1:6
And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
Source: BibleGateway / Bible.com :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
NIV
2 John 1:6
And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
Source: Bible.com :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
ESV
2 John 1:6
And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
Source: Bible.com :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
🧠 Comparison + reflection
All three translations land on the same spine: **love is not only a feeling; it’s a lived direction**. KJV emphasizes “walk after,” NIV highlights “obedience,” and ESV frames it as “according to.” In practice: love becomes a daily pattern—small choices, steady truth, consistency under pressure.
📚 Passages
Context + contrast
Bible.com context passage (today’s anchor)
2 John 1:4–6 (summary)
John rejoices to find children “walking in truth,” then calls for love, and defines love as walking in God’s commandments— a steady, practiced way of life.
Anchor verse shown on Bible.com today: 2 John 1:6. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
“Completely different” companion passage
Micah 6:8 (OT)
Chosen as a contrast: instead of defining love as “walking in commands,” Micah compresses faithful living into **justice, mercy, and humility**—a civic + personal expression of a devoted heart.
If today’s anchor is NT, we pair an OT “way of life” verse.
✨ Tory’s Verse (personal daily pick)
Psalm 34:18 (comfort + custody season)
Picked to match your season: when the external world feels slow or unfair, this verse centers God’s nearness to the brokenhearted—and strength for daily faithfulness while you fight for your girls.
🌍 Interfaith lens
Respectful “how others might hear it”
Judaism: Likely resonates strongly with “walk” language (halakhah = “the walk”)—love expressed through practiced commandments, community ethics, and covenant faithfulness.
Islam: Often affirms the idea that love of God shows up as obedience and submission in daily life; may read the verse as “faith proven by actions.”
Buddhism: May translate “walk in love” into compassion-in-action (karuṇā) and disciplined practice; “commandments” may be heard more as training/ethics than divine law.
Hinduism: Might map it to dharma (right living) and bhakti (devotion): love expressed through faithful practice and duty in family/community.
Secular humanism: Often agrees with the ethics (“love as action”), while treating “commandments” as cultural/moral frameworks rather than divine authority.
🗞️ Religion & world faith headlines
Recent
These are examples of “religion headlines” pulled from recent reporting. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
🙏 Prayer of the Day
Regenerates (with proxy) • or edit manually
Father God,

Today I choose to walk in love—steady, faithful, and calm.
Strengthen my heart for the long road: for custody, for my girls, for safety, and for peace in my home.

Bless my marriage with gentleness, truth, and a shared spirit of service.
Open doors for meaningful work again—provide daily bread, clear direction, and the courage to keep showing up.

Guard my mind from fear, my mouth from bitterness, and my hands for building good.
Let love be more than words—let it become my steps.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Amen ✝
⛪ Shepherd of the Valley (Apple Valley)
Today + Sunday
Worship schedule
Saturdays: 5:00 PM
Sundays: 8:30 AM & 9:45 AM (organ/piano-led)
Sundays: 11:00 AM (band-led)
Livestream: Sundays 9:45 AM
From SOTV website. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Events (what you can attend)
Tip: Their events list can change; use the button below for today’s live list.
Open SOTV Events ↗
Events page currently shows “No events found” at time of lookup. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
This week at SOTV
If their “This week” email/newsletter is live, this link usually has the latest.
Open “This week at SOTV” ↗
Newsletter link found via web. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}
🤟✨ ASL Sync Flip Ticker
Top: fingerspelling handshape • Bottom: matching picture • flips in sync
Now showing A — Apple
🤟 ASL Handshape
🖼️ Matching Image
🎬 Message to My Daughters 🤟💛
ASL • love letter • accessibility • always learning
🤟 ASL 💛 Dad Energy ♿ Accessibility
BreeSpace HQ
Sports • Outdoors • Photos • TikTok • Dad Portal
Loading weather…
Apple Valley, MN • Password page recommended
🏈🏀⚾ SPORTS
📱 TikTok Ticker
😑 Dad Jokes
🏟️ Bree Sports Hub
Vikings • Wolves • Twins
Tip: NFL is offseason right now — use “Opponents” + news until game dates drop. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
🌲 Outdoors + Photo Missions
Fishing • Nature • Camera
Apple Valley’s city events page is a good “what’s happening” source. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
🏫 School + Apple Valley Updates
District 196 • Eastview
District 196
Checking calendar…
Eastview Activities
Games & events
Apple Valley News
City updates
District calendar shows Presidents Day: “No School – K-12” on Feb 16, 2026. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
🕵️‍♂️ Dad Portal
Message • Shopping • Food
📨 Direct Message to Dad
Ultra-secure. Totally not monitored by NASA. 😄
Email Dad
(Email uses “mailto:” — no server needed. Works best on phone.)
🛒 Shopping Wish-List
Drop links or “need this” ideas.
🍔 Food Order to Dad
Because “I’m hungry” is a whole vibe.
Send order
📍 Dad Tracker
Richie Rich feature. Coming soon. 😎
Coming soon: map embed + “Dad is probably at Target” detector.
Daily message from Dad (editable):
You’re tough, you’re smart, and I’m proud of you — I’m always in your corner. 💪
🛹 Fun Zone
Skate • Scooter • Drone • Random
🛹 Trick of the Day
“Ollie 10 times” (or scooter bunny hops)
🛸 Drone Mission
“1 smooth cinematic pan shot” + “1 top-down loop”
📸 Photo Challenge
“Find a reflection shot (puddle/ice/window)”
✨ Level Up
Streak idea: 5 minutes outside + 1 photo = +10 XP
TikTok trends change fast; this dashboard links to “trending sounds” lists you can swap anytime. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
▶️ YouTube Short
Click to play (opens inline modal)
What if people could walk out of court actually understanding what happened?
Court Experience Research Initiative
A community-driven, data-informed effort to make court processes clearer, more accessible, and easier to navigate — while protecting privacy and respecting active legal boundaries.
🧪 Research rigor
🕵️ De-identification
🛡️ Safety screening
📊 Trends, not attacks
♿ Accessibility
“Confusion erodes trust. Understanding builds confidence.”
Note: your GoFundMe URL above appears to be an organizer/manage link. If you want a public donate button, swap the link in data-support to your public GoFundMe share URL.
✨ How it works (privacy-first)
Animated flow — built for clarity, not drama
📝
Anonymous, structured submissions
People share experiences in a safe, formatted way.
🛡️
Safety screening + compliance
Submissions are reviewed for boundaries and risk.
🕵️
De-identification
Personal details removed. Privacy stays intact.
📊
Trends + dashboards
Data becomes patterns, insights, education.
🧭
People leave court with clarity
Better prep. Less confusion. More confidence.
🚫 No naming individuals
🚫 No interference with cases
✅ Just patterns, clarity, and insight
📌 What this project is
Built by a #Minnesota scientist with experience in clinical research, database systems, cybersecurity, and public education — applying research rigor to civic infrastructure.
The idea is simple:
  • 🧾 People share structured, anonymous experiences
  • 🛡️ Submissions are screened for safety and compliance
  • 🕵️ Personal details are removed
  • 📊 Data becomes trends, not attacks
  • 📚 Dashboards + educational materials help everyone prepare better
No naming individuals. No interference with cases. Just patterns, clarity, and insight.
Why this matters: Confusion erodes trust. Understanding builds confidence.
Better information helps families, self-represented litigants, researchers, journalists, policymakers, and even courts themselves.
Funding supports:
  • 🔐 Secure technology
  • 🧪 Survey & reporting systems
  • 🧹 Moderation + de-identification
  • ♿ Accessibility tools
  • 📣 Public education resources
If you believe knowledge should be organized, responsible, and useful — you’re in the right place.
#CourtTransparency #AccessToJustice #LegalInnovation #PublicData #CivicTech #JusticeSystem #CommunitySupport #OpenGovernment #DataForGood #LegalEducation #KnowYourRights #CivicInnovation #ResearchDriven #Minnesota #CourtReform #TransparencyMatters #TechForGood #PublicService #EvidenceBased #StrongerCommunities
🤟💛 Forever Dad
ASL • Science • Love • Showing up
📜 Read message & project story
My daughters — I love you forever.
You are the strongest kids I know.
I miss you more than ever, and I’m working toward the day we can be together more and life feels normal again. 🫶👨‍👧‍👧
This video shows raw ASL panels of me signing directly to my daughter.
It’s part love letter, part learning process, and part accessibility advocacy.
🎸 You Are My Sunshine.
☀️ you are my light
💛 you make me happy
🌧️ even when life turns gray
🫶 you may never know how loved you are
🙏 please don’t take that sunshine away
❤️ Personal connection:
My daughter had open-heart surgery as a baby and just turned 16.
Moments like that change a dad forever.
🧬 Science became personal. It became my daughter’s heartbeat.
💛 I miss my girls more than words can say.
But every ASL sign I learn and every tool I try to build is for them.
🚀 Projects in progress:
DrTory.com
CourtResearchExperienceInitiative.org
🧪 Want to help test beta tools?
Comment “BETA” or message me.
👨‍👧‍👧💛 Forever Dad. Always showing up.
Hey there! Ask me anything!
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