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 in Political Science from the University of Iowa. 

My research examines how social policies shape political behavior and inequality in the United States. I study how lived experiences with welfare, safety net programs, and other interactions with the state influence political behavior and attitudes. I pay particular attention to how policy features like stigma, administrative burden, and program accessibility shape how people understand their place in democracy and how these experiences contribute to long-term patterns of political development. 

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. My work has also been supported by a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant from the American Political Science Association/National Science Foundation.