Bio

I am an Associate Professor of Political Science at Colgate University. I received a PhD in Political Science from Yale University in 2010.

My main research interests include ethnic politics, national identity, clientelism, electoral politics in developing countries, democratization and African politics. I conducted field research in Senegal, Benin, Mali, Ghana and Botswana.

 My forthcoming book, National Identity in Africa: Peace, Democracy and Everyday National Narratives (Oxford University Press) examines the sources of national identification in Africa.  

My first book, Beyond Ethnic Politics in Africa (2016 Cambridge University Press), addresses the puzzle of why ethnicity drives electoral politics in some ethnically diverse societies but not in others.