Jay grew up in a small town in southern Minnesota. He graduated from Bemidji State University with a bachelors in aquatic biology, then attened and recived his masters degree from Western Illinois University in biological sciences. Jay joined CKWRI in 2016 and is studying movement, migration, and winter ecology of Midcontinent Greater White-fronted Geese.
Jay chose to attend the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and Texas A&M University – Kingsville because of their international recognition as a leader in wildlife research, where he knew he could conduct research, attend classes, and interact with renowned scientists of many different fields in an ecologically imperative region such as South Texas.