Mike was born outside Portland, Oregon, in the United States. He grew up in the forest sector, first following his father and grandfather around the family sawmill and later working for the company, which became noted for its innovative products, marketing, and operations. He returned to academia in 2010 and completed a Master’s of Science degree in Wood Science at Oregon State University in 2012. In 2013, he came to Slovenia to pursue a PhD at the University of Primorska and work with Dr. Andreja Kutnar. Now he continues his research career with the InnoRenew CoE and the University of Primorska.

His research interests include human health in the built environment, interdisciplinary work connecting computer science, technology, data science, and renewable materials research.