His Ph.D. is from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota. His main international interests are in comparative media (especially electronic media) law and in the systems and institutions needed to promote non-governmental electronic media in emerging democracies. Toward that end, he's worked in recent years with university-level communications educators, NGO's and government officials in the Russian Federation , Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Indonesia and the People's Republic of China. He was also the founding director of the Global Village Living-Learning Center, a College of Arts and Sciences supported undergraduate living community supportive of the International Studies Program aimed at preparing IU undergraduates for 21st century global living.