He received his Ph.D in mathematics education at the University of Missouri where he was also a fellow of the Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum (CSMC) for four years. He also served as a mathematics education consultant for the state of Missouri Department of Education. As a consultant for the Missouri Department of Education (1999-2007), he worked extensively with the Missouri Math Academy, a statewide program aimed to improve the teaching and content knowledge of middle school mathematics teachers. In this role, he helped develop curriculum for teachers in both algebra and geometry and worked on its modification year-to-year with the other consultants using the Japanese lesson study model. He continues to work with middle school math teachers at ETSU through the Eastman Scholar Mathletes program (2008- present).