A native of Dublin, Ireland, his research interests fall broadly within the parameters of U.S. political and cultural engagement on the world stage. A major theme of his research is the correlation between U.S. foreign policy and issues of domestic American cultural and political identity, and he has a particular interest in U.S. engagement in West Africa, the Caribbean, and Ireland. Each summer he runs a study abroad program in Dublin, where he teaches a course on the history of U.S.-Irish relations and also engages students in archival research projects.