He holds a PhD in geography from the University of Iowa, Iowa City. He has authored numerous articles in prominent academic journals such as The Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Environment and Planning A, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Risk Analysis, and The Professional Geographer. He has also served as a chair of the Association of American Geographers Hazards Specialty Group and was commissioned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to coauthor a paper for their 2010 Environmental Justice Research and Decision Making Symposium.