He earned a BA in Russian from BYU, an MA in Slavic Linguistics and Literature from The Ohio State University, and BS in Computer Science from Weber State University. His current research is in finding ways for AI/Computer Generated Trees to connect families in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Investigating records sets and ensuring there are high quality indexes available for the creation of the trees is his favorite assignment at FamilySearch.

He is also interested in records surrounding the transition from the Russian Empire to the Soviet period, which includes repressions records, remembrance books, filtration records, and records from the gulag. He has a special interest in all events surrounding the Holodomor and its impact on the peoples of Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. He enjoys powerlifting, reading books about folklore and Soviet Russia, and causing chaos in cooperation with his grandchildren. He resides in Stansbury Park, Utah with his wife and children.