He received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1977 from the University of Illinois-Urbana and his PhD in 1986 from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Throughout his professional career, Jim has also been extensively involved in public outreach, enthusiastically spreading his knowledge of local and global geology, geological processes, and Earth history. In his retirement, Jim continues to pursue his passion for telling awe-inspiring and entertaining stories about the 4.5 billion year history of Planet Earth.