John is a third-year Ph.D. student focusing on international relations. His research interests, which are still developing, revolve around great powers, strategies, and the role geography plays in them. Some of his recent work has revolved around the role of terrain on strategy choice and the importance of spatial proximity in political decisions.

He grew up on a farm in central Ohio, where he lived until attending Marietta College beginning in the Fall of 2018. There, he received his Bachelor of Arts in History, Political Science, and Geographic Information Science, and graduated Magna Cum Laude in the Spring of 2022.

In his time in undergrad, he was an active member of Pi Sigma Alpha and Model United Nations, and received the "Investigative Studies" Summer Fellowship that allowed him to work closely with his academic advisor on research and other academic pursuits. This, along with other things, helped him enroll in the University of Kentucky's Political Science Ph.D. program.