He studied at the University of Dayton before moving on to Western Illinois University where he received a master’s degree in psychology. Subsequently, he attended the University of Kentucky to attain a doctoral degree in psychology. His major areas of interest in research and teaching have changed over the years, and have included questions in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and personality. After almost 40 years of teaching at La Salle, he now thinks of himself as a generalist, and reads and studies in a variety of areas with the aim of bringing a deeper story to his classroom. His personal life includes volunteer work and performances as an acoustic-fingerstyle guitarist and vocalist in the Philadelphia area.