Mike received a B.S. in Botany from Eastern Illinois University in 1989, a M.S. in Forestry from University of Missouri-Columbia in 1992, and a Ph.D. in Forest Ecology from Purdue University in 1998. Before returning to Purdue, he worked for ten years as a vegetation ecologist for the National Park Service (NPS) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. While with the NPS, Mike collaborated on a range of research projects with scientists from across the country and currently holds adjunct appointments with four universities.