He obtained his M.A. (2004) in Statistics and his M.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2006) in Environmental Science from the University of California at Berkeley. His research focuses on understanding forest ecosystem dynamics, land use and land cover change, and human-environment systems through the integrated use of geospatial information technologies (GIS, remote sensing, and GPS) and spatial statistical methods. He is a recipient of Robert N. Colwell Memorial Fellowship Award from American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) and Earth System Science Fellowship from National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA).