He earned his Ph.D. in advertising from The University of Texas at Austin and his M.A. in communication at Washington State University. His doctoral dissertation examined social and cognitive factors that motivate people's information seeking behaviors in the context of environmental risks. His current reseearch explores several research domains, including environmental communication, political communication, and communication research methodology. He is primarily interested in studying communication processes in environmental sustainability, with specific interest in climate change, energy conservation, and recycling.