About Me

I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Public Administration here at NCSU; my research interests center around public management, local governments, and economic development in distressed communities. I am particularly interested in the relationships between public institutions and community-level outcomes, with a focus on building resilient and equitable communities. I earned my B.S. in political science and my masters in public administration from Appalachian State University in 2016 and 2020, respectively. 

In addition to being a student, I serve as a Navy reservist and recently completed an internship with NCSU’s Laboratory of Analytic Sciences. I am also a student analyst with NC Growth at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Before attending NCSU, I worked for the Gaston College Upward Bound program, advising underprivileged high school students and assisting them with their secondary and post-secondary pursuits. During this time, I also served as a graduate fellow for Appalachian Community Capital’s Appalachia Economic Development Finance Program, which sparked my interest in community development and resilience.