He is also a community development specialist with the Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development at the Sandhill Research and Education Center, where he is involved in developing a comprehensive community economic development program. His research and outreach interests include rural sociology, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. He teaches courses in community sociology, human ecology, social impact analysis, and a “creative inquiry” research course on locally grown foods. In addition, he serves on the board of directors of Market Matters, Inc., an international business development services organization based in Ithaca, New York, and Pretoria, South Africa, that focuses on capacity-building in emerging markets. He received his doctorate in development sociology from Cornell University.