He earned his PhD in philosophy from the University of Virginia, where he wrote his dissertation on Aristotle’s Categories, with a special focus on questions in metaphysics like the nature of substance and ontological priority. His research more broadly is at the intersection of ancient philosophy and contemporary analytic metaphysics, and is especially interested in fundamental metaphysical topics like parts, wholes, particulars and universals. He believes that historical and contemporary research into these questions can be mutually illuminating. In addition to these research interests, he has strong teaching interests in medieval and early modern philosophy, as well as some contemporary topics in ethics, such as the nature of well-being.