Sam received his master's degree in public policy from the Pennsylvania State University and his bachelor's degree in Criminology, Law & Society/Psychology & Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine. He worked as a research associate for the Criminal Justice Research Center examining drug markets, patterns of substance-related police stops, and criminal justice-oriented solutions to manage care and rehabilitation of opioid-related issues. He has authored multiple National Institute of Justice reports and is published within the American Journal of Managed Care. Currently, he manages data collection efforts with the Tourist Safety Institute at the UNLV Greenspun College of Urban Affairs. His work currently examines correlates of victimization and safety for Nevada tourists.