Welcome! I am an incoming 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 is driven by two central questions: Why do people in the United States live in poverty? and what are the political consequences of poverty? I study poverty, public policy, and political behavior, with a focus on how social policies shape not only material well-being but also political attitudes and behaviors. I approach poverty as a political outcome—produced and sustained by the policy choices we make as a society.

I examine how people’s experiences with government programs—such as TANF, SNAP, and Medicaid—affect their political development and civic engagement. I am especially interested in how the design and implementation of these programs influence whether people feel politically included or excluded. This work has been supported by a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant from the American Political Science Association/National Science Foundation.

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.