I am a Professor in the Hobby School for Public Affairs at the University of Houston. 

My research interests focus on American politics and public policy, with a focus on state and local politics, gender and politics, the politics of criminal justice, research methods, and environmental politics. 

I write books about the failures of local democracy and local inequality. My first book, Women in Politics in the American City examines the effect of women mayors and city council members on urban politics. I edited a volume on gender and political ambition: Good Reasons to Run. My book on county sheriffs with Emily Farris, The Power of the Badge examines the role of sheriffs in creating and maintaining inequality in the United States. I also wrote Gendered Jobs and Local Leaders,  a book with Rachel Bernhard on the gendered-occupational pathways to local office. My most recent published book, The Hidden Face of Local Power, evaluates the role that appointed boards play in maintaining inequality in local politics. And I have a collaborative book on Gender and Local Political Ambition coming out shortly! 

I've been widely published in both academic journals and in the popular press, including NPR, the New Yorker, the Atlantic, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and others. 

Want to know how to pronounce my name? Here's me saying it! 

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