He has studied how humans derive benefits from natural environments in Mexico, Venezuela and the United States with an emphasis on policy and planning. He worked as a policy analyst in state and local government for ten years. He currently leads an interdisciplinary team studying the impacts of hydraulic fracturing on human quality of life in Pennsylvania. He received a B.Sci. in Geography from Southern Connecticut State University, a M.Sci. in ecology and policy from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in ecological anthropology from the University of Georgia.