After receiving his doctoral degree from the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication, he served a two-year term as a George Gerbner Post-doctoral Fellow at Annenberg. His research examines the effects of mass media and political communication on stereotyping and prejudice, especially in the context of political decision-making. He has articles published or forthcoming in Public Opinion Quarterly, American Journal of Political Science, and Political Communication. His forthcoming book is titled, The Obama Effect: How the 2008 Campaign Changed White Racial Attitudes.