He received his doctoral degree from the University of Iowa. Prior to the University of Tennessee, he was a faculty member in the Educational Research Program at the University of Memphis. His work has been published in reputable journals including the Journal of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education, Journal of College Student Development, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, and Journal of College Student Retention. His recent work focuses on student post-graduate migration and student loan default behavior. He is also a 2015 Chancellor's Award of Excellence in Teaching recipient.