I’m a sixth-generation Texan who grew up on a cattle ranch south of Dallas. Ranch life taught me early lessons about responsibility, patience, and doing the work in front of you, even when it’s uncomfortable. I was homeschooled for much of my childhood and raised on classic literature, philosophy, and the sciences, which left me with a lifelong habit of reading and thinking deeply.

As a teenager, I was diagnosed with Becker muscular dystrophy. At first, it was just a medical fact in the background of my life. Over time, it became something I had to actively plan around. I’m now wheelchair-bound, and that shapes how I see the world in ways I didn’t anticipate. It made me more patient, more deliberate, and far less interested in ideas that only work in theory. I care about systems and their limits, because I live with them every day.

I spent over a decade as a mechanical engineer and consultant. I earned my Professional Engineer license and worked on projects where physics, regulation, budgets, and human limits all collided at once. That background still informs everything I do. I approach policy, history, and international affairs with an instinct for tradeoffs, unintended consequences, and practical limits.

Academically, I moved from engineering into international relations, where my focus is energy transition, supply chains, emerging technology, and international security. I’ve finished a master’s degree at Harvard and am preparing for doctoral study, while building Current History as a place to write clearly about the world as it is, not as we wish it were.

Outside of work, I’m a devoted Dallas Cowboys and Mavericks fan, and I follow my Fighting Texas Aggies religiously. You can usually find me reading the classics, writing, or rewatching old films. I’m a cinephile with an interest in classic Hollywood, and I’ve seen Unforgiven more times than I can reasonably defend. I also enjoy live music and a well-made Old Fashioned.

At the end of the day, I’m drawn to work that rewards depth, honesty, and endurance. I try to approach people with curiosity, problems with humility, and projects with the intention of leaving them better than I found them.