He received his undergraduate degree in biological sciences at Clemson University and his master’s and doctorate in the ecology, evolution and marine biology program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He attributes his love for science to growing up in the outdoors of South Carolina. Gosnell revealed that science fulfills a natural curiosity—it is not only about memorization, but also about teaching students to think and analyze. His latest research was an analysis of how predators impact oysters, a collaboration with the River Project and Billion Oyster Project. In a personal interview, Gosnell described the oyster project and how students, even non-science majors, can get involved in hands-on ecological tasks.