He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in political science from the University of Oregon and a B.A. in sociology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. His research interests include urban economic restructuring, brownfields redevelopment, industry clusters, and environmental politics. His book, Remaking Chicago: The Political Origins of Urban Industrial Change (Northern Illinois University Press, 1999) examines the role of local politics in the deindustrialization of Chicago's central area during the post World War Two era.