He received a Ph.D. in Biology from Duke University, an M.S. in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development from the University of Georgia, Athens, and a B.Sc. in Ecology from Appalachian State University in Boone NC. His primary research interests are systematics and taxonomy of truffle fungi, biology of Pezizales, fungal biodiversity, and inter-kingdom interactions between fungi plants and bacteria. For more details on his research click here.