A native of Austin, Texas, he earned his PhD in astronomy from the California Institute of Technology in 2000. His research focuses on the use of radio, millimeter, and submillimeter wavelength observations of interstellar matter to probe how galaxy evolution unfolds in the nearby and distant universe. Among his specific interests are the properties of dusty star-forming galaxies and the cosmic evolution of neutral atomic hydrogen gas, which he will be studying with South Africa's new MeerKAT facility over the next few years.