Welcome! I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science in the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice at the University of South Alabama. I earned my PhD from the University of Iowa. 

My research examines the political consequences of poverty and social policy in the United States. I study how lived experiences with welfare and safety net programs during youth affect political behavior, views of government, and democratic inclusion in adulthood, and how these dynamics create unequal political starting points across generations. I also explore how policy design features--such as stigma and administrative burden--shape individuals' understanding of their place in democracy. My work engages several scholarly disciplines, including political science, public policy, sociology, and psychology.

My research has been published or is forthcoming in Policy Studies Journal, Political Research Quarterly, JAMA Health Forum, Electoral Studies, Social Science Quarterly, Representation, and the Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy, and has been supported by a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant from the American Political Science Association and the National Science Foundation.