Michael graduated with a Doctorate of Education with a concentration of Educational Technology. His dissertation topic is evaluating departmental conditions in higher education needed to design, classify, and train faculty for teaching in the active learning classrooms. This research directly connected to his experiences at University of South Carolina Upstate building, training, and evaluating active learning classrooms.
Michael completed his Master's of Education with a concentration in Student Affairs in Higher Education (formerly College Student Personnel Administration). As part of program completion, he completed a capstone focused on defining what student engagement meant for student athletes at Marquette University. With the program's strong emphasis on practical application, he also took advantage of becoming a Graduate Assistant in Community Service Programs, completing one practicum in the Center of International Education at UW-Milwaukee, and completing a second practicum at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee-Waukesha Campus (Formerly University of Wisconsin-Waukesha) coordinating summer orientation and advising programs.
Michael completed his Bachelor's of Art with a minor in Economics. Based on the inspiration of a professor there to be multidisciplinary as possible, he believed that Political Science, Sociology, and Economics blended into a holistic view of what happens in society. Accomplishments during his time at St. Norbert College included interning for a Member of Parliament in London, UK, being elected as Student Government Vice President, First Year Experience and Multicultural Mentor, and working for the Center of International Education for all four years in various student positions. These included ESL Activities Coordinator and Residence Hall Director, ESL Conversation Partners Coordinator, and After-School Spanish Instructor.