Welcome!

I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC), where I am affiliated with the Authoritarian Politics Lab. I hold an M.A. in Political Science from UNC and an M.A. in Russian and East European Studies from Indiana University, Bloomington. My research uses formal theory, computational social science, and large-N statistical analysis to study the political economy of dictatorship. I am especially interested in understanding how dictators use nominally democratic institutions, such as legislatures and cabinets, to share power with rival elites and co-opt opposition parties. A solo-authored paper from this project is forthcoming at Comparative Political Studies.

Undergraduate education is an integral part of my scholarly work, and I am passionate about teaching and mentoring students. I am a two-time winner of the Wallace Award for Best Teaching Assistant in the Department of Political Science at UNC. I am also a recipient of the UNC Chancellor's Student Undergraduate Teaching and Staff Award.