He earned a BA from Luther College in Decorah, IA and an MFA from Montana State University in Bozeman, MT where he focused mainly on atmospheric firing techniques. Prior to graduate school, Mat was an assistant to studio artist Don Reitz and worked with Donovan Palmquist of Master Kiln Builders and studio artist Abe Cohn as well. In 2010 Mat travelled to China where he participated in a research expedition examining indigenous materials and their uses. In 2011 Mat returned to China as an artist in residence at The Pottery Workshop in Jingdezhen.