He earned his BA in international relations and Japanese from Michigan State University, and his MA and PhD in political science from the University of Washington (Seattle). His research focuses on the relationship between the state and foreign residents and on the role of norms in international politics, and he has published articles in journals including Pacific Affairs; the Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy; and Foreign Policy Analysis. He also wrote a chapter in the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of the International Relations of Asia. In his free time he enjoys cooking, hiking, and spending time with his spouse and two children.