He earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from Texas A&M University in 2010 and an M.A. in Communication in 2006 as well as a B.A. in Communication in 2004 from Saint Louis University. Dr. Schaefer is a certified mediator and a certified behavioral analyst. His primary teaching areas are organizational communication and a variety of courses such as conflict management, leadership, and organizational culture. His primary research interests are the relationship between organizational action and structure, organizational culture and conflict management, innovative ethnographic research methods, and the organizing mechanisms of entrepreneurial ecosystems. He has presented at many academic and professional conferences and published in many academic and professional outlets.