He earned his Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Florida in Gainesville, his M.A. in Communication from the University of South Florida in Tampa, and his B.A. in Communication from Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota. He has published academic works in the Florida Communication Journal, Teaching Journalism and Mass Communication, and the Popular Culture Studies Journal. He lives in Palm Bay, Florida, with his wife, Lisa, and three children.