He earned his bachelors degree in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Kansas in 2005 and a doctorate in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis in 2013. Prior to arriving at Tech, Ian worked as a staffer inside of the U.S. Senate as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow. His research interests primarily concern American institutions with a particular emphasis on the U.S. presidency, Congress, the bureaucracy, and the interaction of all three. He also has research interests and background in public policy generally and environmental and energy policy specifically.