After receiving his Bachelor of Architecture in 1979 from the University of Toronto, Michael went on to work at the Royal Ontario Museum. He then also taught at the School of Architecture of the University of Toronto while taking MA courses in Art History, his principal teacher being Professor Hans Luecke. 

In 1988 he was accepted into the History and Theory Program of the School of Architecture of Princeton University, receiving his Masters in 1991. The following year, he was accepted into the Graduate program in Archeology of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, completing the course and becoming a Fellow of the School in 1993. 

Throughout the 90’s he worked as one of the two architects for the Agora Excavations of the American School of Classical Studies, Athens. In 2001 Michael began teaching at the University of Notre Dame’s Architecture program in Rome. Following the completion of his term in 2003, he was invited to the University of Notre Dame home campus as a Guest Speaker and Visiting Critic. 

From 2011 to 2014 Michael was the Academic Director of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art’s Beaux Arts Atelier in New York and its one full time teacher, teaching courses in Design, Theory, History, Field Studies, etc.. He also works as a design consultant.