He received his MA in History from the University in Denver in 1995 where his work in American military history, more specifically the 19th century west, has been published in the journal “Military History of West.” Sensing that one master's degree wasn't enough, he went on to receive a M.Ed. from MSUB in 1999 before completing his Ph.D. at the University of Leicester in 2006. He has conducted and published both historical and archaeological research in a variety of areas from ancient Rome to the American West. Dr. Rust has taught at MSUB since 1999.