On entering university, he initially thought about studying civil engineering, not biology, thinking that he would be able to earn a living in the construction industry and continue studying biology as a hobby. However, he eventually chose to study biology because he realized that he could handle both a career and his interest by obtaining a jog teaching biology. First, he studied biology at the University of Minnesota, and then specialized in entomology at the University of California, Berkeley.
He first visited Costa Rica when he was a student. In Costa Rica at that time, there were vast natural forests, equivalent to half the size of the country, which sparked an interest in conducting research there.
