He is a physical organic chemist with research interests in the areas of solid state synthesis, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and host-guest chemistry. After receiving an undergraduate degree from Middlebury College, he was a NEBHE doctoral scholar at the University of New Hampshire. He earned his Ph.D. with Professor Glen P. Miller, studying Diels-Alder reactions of fullerenes with various linear acenes. After completing his degree in 2000, he was a post-doctoral fellow with professor Lawrence T. Scott at Boston College developing rational syntheses of unique fullerenes and nanotubes. In 2003, he joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati. His group studies solid state synthesis with the goal of developing environmentally benign chemical reactions and processes. In addition, the Mack group studies the host-guest interactions of corannulene-based cyclophanes and other bowl-shaped aromatics.