He received his B.S. from Union College in chemistry, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in statistics and geography from the University of California-Santa Barbara. Prior to his appointment at the University of Denver, Sutton worked as a high school physics and math teacher and as a process engineer in the aerospace industry. His teaching and research interests at the University of Denver are in the general area of human-environment relations and interactions. Much of his research involves the use of nighttime satellite imagery for mapping and measuring population distribution, economic activity, anthropogenic impact on the environment, and urban sprawl. Sutton is also interested in the mapping and valuation of ecosystem services. His current research activity involves the development of spatially explicit maps of carrying capacity at regional and national scales.