He received his Ph.D. from the Program in History of Science and Technology at the University of Minnesota in 2002. Before joining the department at UNCW in 2006, he taught in the history department at Oberlin College in Ohio. Sepkoski specializes in the history of evolutionary theory, particularly the interaction of paleontology and biology during the 20th century. He recently published “The Paleobiological Revolution: Essays on the Growth of Modern Paleontology” with Michael Ruse, a professor of philosophy and director of the Program in the History and Philosophy of Science at Florida State University.