He holds an Interdisciplinary PhD in Culture from Northwestern University and an MFA in Theatre from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In 2007 he received the VCU School of the Arts Award for Distinguished Achievement in Service. In addition to his work in theatre and drama, he specializes in qualitative and mixed-method research design, pedagogy and curriculum design, theories of the body and methods of movement analysis. He is a recognized expert on the use of theatre training and performance studies in applied social science, and has designed the curricula for several national and international teacher certification programs. His articles on the intersections of culture and media are taught at universities around the world.