He received a B.A. in Political Science from North Carolina State University (1996), and his M.S. (1998) and Ph.D. (2002) from Florida State University. His research interests focus on state and local politics and policy generally, and specifically focuses policies that address issues of importance for those disenfranchised members of the community. Among other things, this includes research on state and local implementation and evaluation of public health programs. Most recently, he has published research on the success of state programs to expand health insurance coverage. He teaches courses on state and local politics and policy at the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as core courses in the Master’s of Public Administration program