I am Assistant Professor of Political Science at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. Previously, I was Assistant Professor of Political Science at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX and a Fellow and Visiting Research Scholar at Princeton University’s Center for the Study of Democratic Politics. I earned my Ph.D. in 2019 from the University of Michigan’s Department of Political Science and a B.A. (summa cum laude, honors with distinction) in 2013 from Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY (Major: Political Science; Minors, Mathematics, Philosophy). I am originally from Reedsville, Pennsylvania, a small town located in (beautiful!) Kishacoquillas (“Big”) Valley, Mifflin County.
My research agenda is motivated by my long-standing interest in why public policy changes when it does, and why it often fails to do so—even when many elites and citizens appear unsatisfied with the status quo. To this end, my work examines the institutional underpinnings of policy change and gridlock, with a particular interest in how legislative parties and electoral competition, interest group activity, and legislative professionalism influence how, when, and why public policy changes. To learn more about my research agenda, feel free to read my research statement, or peruse the “Research” section of this site.
Of equal importance, I have a strong passion for teaching, and am proud member of the Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts faculty at Purdue. A list of my courses taught can be found in the “Teaching” section of my website, which includes my teaching philosophy, sample syllabi, and other relevant information.