About
Biography
Salutations! Today, I am a Visiting Assistant Professor in Political Science at St. Olaf College. My research centers on the structure and function of ethnic identity, with a focus on how public policy shapes perceptions of race and ethnicity in the United States and South Asia. I also have a secondary area of research on the politics of public support for judiciaries, and the contexts under which such support can protect judicial institutions from would-be autocrats.
Prior to St. Olaf, I completed my doctorate at George Washington University, where I studied how formal, government definitions of racial and ethnic identity in the United States influence perceptions of group boundaries. My dissertation, Boundaries of Belonging: The Structure and Stability of Ethnic Identity, was directed by Henry Hale, with Eric Kramon and Janet I. Lewis. I earned my M.A. in International Peace & Conflict Resolution from American University, with a focus on negotiation and mediation. During this time, I also served as a campus dialogue facilitator, helping students, staff, and faculty have meaningful (and often difficult) conversations around issues of race and racism on our campus.
Before starting my graduate studies, I lived in Guilin, China for two years where I worked as a foreign teacher and deputy director of international staff at Guangxi Normal University. I also hold a B.A. in International Relations and Politics (double major) and a B.S. in Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology from Drake University.
Education
- Ph.D., Political Science (Comparative Politics & Research Methods) — George Washington University, 2025
- M.Phil., Political Science — George Washington University, 2022
- M.A., International Peace & Conflict Resolution — American University, School of International Service, 2018
- B.A., International Relations and Politics; B.S., Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology — Drake University, 2013
Grants and Fellowships
- Doctoral Dissertation Grant, Rapoport Family Foundation — 2024–2025
- Dean’s Graduate Instructorship, George Washington University — Fall 2023
- Academic Grant, Sawtooth Software — October 2022
- Columbian Distinguished Fellow Award, George Washington University — 2019, renewable five years
Curriculum Vitae
Office Hours · Fall 2026
Holland Hall 422, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9:00–10:30am and 2:00–3:30pm. I am also happy to meet by appointment, and email is usually the fastest way to find me.