He received his B.S. in Wildlife Science in 1996, his M.S. in Conservation Genetics in 1998, and his Ph.D. in Evolutionary Genetics in 2007 from Purdue University. Before joining the faculty in 2008, he served as the vertebrate curator and coordinator of laboratory instruction for eight years. During that time he managed the vertebrate teaching collection, taught five courses related to ecology and systematics of vertebrates, and co-authored two field guides: the Salamanders of Indiana and the Turtles of Indiana.