He is an assistant research professor in the McDonough School of Bussines at the Georgetown University, where he also is the director for the Study of Market and Ethics. Douma is an interdisciplinary historian, influenced by scholars in fields as diverse as economics, folklore, and ethics. His research as a historian has focused on the Nineteenth century U.S. history, the Dutch World, philosophy and the methods of History. 

Michael is active in public history projects in the realms of historic preservation and folklore.