Before receiving his PhD from Washington State University (1996), he was an active duty officer in the U.S. Coast Guard (1981-1989). His assignments included deck watch officer aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Cambell and Yocona, IT department Coast Guard 11th district Headquarters, Long Beach Ca., and head of IT, Civil Engineering Department, Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington D.C. Prior to arriving at Boise State, he was an Assistant Professor in the Computer Information Systems department at Arizona State University (1996 to 2003).