He graduated from Dartmouth College with an undergraduate degree in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, and then earned a dual Ph.D. in Zoology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior at Michigan State University. Over a twenty-year science career, his main research focus has been the evolution of biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems. In 2014, he received the Michael J. Mungo award for excellence in undergraduate teaching. He has lived in the Gills Creek Watershed since 2007.