Ellis received his Bachelor of Science in environmental resources and Master of Science in biology from Eastern Kentucky University. From 1993-2000, Ellis worked as an aquatic biologist specializing in invertebrates. In 2001, he began his role as the invertebrate biologist where his duties focus on aquatic insects and terrestrial and subterranean invertebrates.
He is currently collecting and compiling data for publication on the distribution of Kentucky's dragonflies and damselflies.
