Michael Schuster comes from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he received an M.A. in History as well as a B.A. in Art History and Criticism and B.F.A. in the Fine Arts. He has also completed a graduate certificate from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in Intelligence and National Security. He has been awarded a Critical Language Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State and has previously interned for the U.S. Embassy in Libya, AMIDEAST/EducationUSA in Tunisia, and the Jordanian Embassy in Washington. His research interests include Salafism and Islamic reform movements.