He obtained his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Bowling Green State University in 2007. His research specializes in ethical theory, applied ethics, moral psychology, and the philosophy of expertise. He has written extensively on the "virtue as skill " thesis, which is the idea that the acquisition of virtue, and therefore moral development, is centrally a process of acquiring practical skills. He is currently finishing a book on this topic, entitled Ethical Expertise and Virtuous Skills. His publications also include work in the areas of animal ethics and the philosophy of punishment.