He received a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Alabama system in 1995. Since then he has worked as an applied mathematician both in industry and academia. He has published in the areas of stochastic processes and game theory, and he holds several patents related to signal processing. Dr. Pendergrass is also an active musician and has played with several local groups. He lives in Farmville with his wife, Dr. Leigh Lunsford, and their three cats.