He earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Bates College. After working at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and DeCode Genetics in Iceland, he earned a Ph.D. in botany from Colorado State University. His research applies genetics and molecular biology to study how plants respond to stress, survive in their natural habitat and can be manipulated to better serve society. His current interest is in learning how plants may be used both as a renewable source of biofuels and phytoremediation.