He received his B.S. in Mathematics from Bucknell University in 2008. After earning his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Arizona in 2013, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey Landslide Hazards Program. His current research focuses on the geologic surface processes that shape landscapes, with applications to natural hazards like wildfires, a serious issue for Arizona and how these events impact landscape evolution.