He earned his Ph.D. in Geography at the University of Arizona, and has previously taught at Missouri Southern State College and has worked for the Environmental Protection Agency. His courses include Human Geography (GEOG 111), Geography of the Middle East and North Africa (GEOG 319), and Geography Immersion Experience (GEOG 366). He is a member of the Association of American Geographers, the Middle East Studies Association, and the Turkish Studies Association. He has published articles on the geography of food and agriculture in Turkey.