He earned his BA in English from Gettysburg College, and his MA and PhD from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Prior to assuming the role of WPA at UA, he directed writing centers at the University of Missouri-Rolla, the University of Texas-Tyler, and the University of Alabama. His teaching and research interests include writing centers, writing program administration and assessment, creative nonfiction, and the work of JRR Tolkien. He regularly teaches first-year writing and UA’s graduate-level teaching practicum, and is working on an auto-fiction manuscript tentatively entitled Free Beer Tomorrow.