He received his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 2004. He continued his graduate studies at the University of Michigan where he completed his M.S. degree in Civil Engineering in 2005, a second M.S. degree in Materials Science & Engineering in 2008, and the Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering in 2008. His research interests include the development of multifunctional nanocomposites and biologically-inspired materials for sensing, actuation, and power harvesting applications.