Dennis grew up in New Jersey and graduated from the Science and Engineering program at Manalapan High School. He attended MIT and earned bachelor's degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering and a master of engineering degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He served in the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer assigned to Naval Sea Systems Command / Naval Reactors 08E/08K, also obtaining a masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and reaching the rank of LT. Dennis is a licensed professional engineer (PE).

Following the Navy, Dennis followed a deep and longstanding interest in biology and earned a PhD in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied comparative biomechanics, applying engineering principles to understanding evolutionary questions in plants, in marine invertebrates, and in the evolution of flight control systems in vertebrates. He the worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studying flight dynamics of flocks and swarms and making field measurements of the kinematics of entire flocks of roosting Chimney Swifts. He then taught engineering in the Department of Weapons, Robotics, and Control Engineering, as an Assistant Professor at the United States Naval Academy, where he launched biomechanics electives and a "School of Drones" class.

Dennis brings his interest in the intersection of biology and engineering as well as biomechanics field and lab experience at MIT / WHOI, Harvard, Berkeley, University of Washington / Friday Harbor Labs, McMurdo Station, Antarctica, UNC, and USNA.  He is a co-author on 15 peer reviewed journal articles and many conference talks.  Dennis also brings his interest and experience with drones and robotics to MBS in the form of a new elective in the Science department. Dennis describes MBS as a "place where I can focus on teaching students science, allowing them to indulge their curiosity and build their wonder of the natural world."

When not in the science classroom, Dennis enjoys cooking, scuba diving, biology and engineering. He also raises Labrador guide dog puppies for people who are blind.