Paul joined the Strawberry Research Group as a Ph.D. student after completing his Master's in Horticulture at Oregon State University, where his thesis focused on the Cannabis transcriptome. Before that, he completed his BS in Soil and Crop Sciences from Colorado State University, where he graduated cum laude. Outside of the academic sphere, he has worked in a number of crop species including wheat, maize, canola, and the rootstock for several tree species. Before his time in agronomy, Paul served as a Combat Engineer team leader in the United States Army. His research at the Strawberry Research Group focuses on the possibility of a genetic basis for resistance to postharvest diseases in the genera Colletotrichum and Neopestalotiopsis.