Wilson earned both a doctoral and a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky, and a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University. The first 11 years of his professional career were spent as a professor at the University of Minnesota (Waseca) where he coordinated the swine research at the Southern Experimental Station. Wilson then served as director of technical service at United Feeds, while overseeing the boar and sow research. He has also spent time working for Minitube of America and Ralco Nutrition.
Currently, Wilson is part of the research and nutritional services team at Zinpro Corporation and is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Minnesota.