He received a bachelor's degree in physics from Cornell University in 1972, and then a master's degree in physics in 1974 and a PhD in nuclear astrophysics in 1978, both from the University of Chicago. His doctoral thesis (mentored by David Schramm and Cary Davids) involved theoretical studies of r-process nucleosynthesis and the discovery of new radioactive isotopes (57Cr, 59Mn, 60Mn, and 67As).