His research focuses on biogeochemical cycling and transport within the soil as it extends to the atmosphere and subsoil. He is a member of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Taskforce and led development of a USDA-funded Midwest greenhouse gas monitoring network of corn-based cropping systems. He also is a member of an ISU task force that assists Des Moines Water Works in managing its nitrate-removal facility. He has degrees from the University of Rhode Island and Saint Louis University and a Ph.D. in soil science from Pennsylvania State University.