I am a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science.  My research revolves around the interaction between the international political economy and domestic conflict and politics.  Specifically, I am interested in the ways in which inflows of foreign aid and international investment influence the likelihood and severity of civil war and human rights violations.  

My most recent research deals with subnational distributions of foreign aid and the onset of the civil war.  Most research regarding aid and civil conflict measure aid using national averages.  However, donors are increasingly beginning to geo-code their data releases, and this more finely-grained data shows promise in adding to our understanding of the nexus between development assistance and conflict.  

Aside from the relationship between aid and conflict, I am more broadly interested in subnational conflict processes and methods using GIS to invesitgate these processes.  

My teaching interests include international relations and comparative politics, and I am currently leading PS 230, Introduction to International Relations.