He received his Ph.D. in 2008 from the University of Houston where he investigated resistive switching phenomena. He joined the Cal State San Marcos faculty shortly thereafter and developed the first physics advanced laboratory class. In 2015, Stephen spent his semester sabbatical at Quantum Design to gain experience in magnetic measurements. A strong proponent of undergraduate research, Stephen currently works with students to investigate spin reorientation phenomena and frequently contributes Education Modules for the Quantum Design Education initiative.