About Me

Welcome! I am a PhD Candidate in Political Science at Duke University and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.

My research focuses on rebel-civilian ties during civil war. My dissertation project conceptualizes kinship control strategies—tactics armed groups use to infiltrate, mobilize, and gain authority over civilians’ familial relationships—and develops and tests a theory about the conditions under which these strategies are most likely. I use mixed methods and both cross-national analysis and subnational analysis of the dynamics in Nepal’s civil war to test my theory. A related part of my research agenda explores the gendered dimensions of rebel governance and political violence.

Prior to beginning my graduate degree, I was a Research Associate at the National Endowment for Democracy and a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow at the Alliance for Peacebuilding. Outside of my research, I love to hike with my dog, Cabot, ski, and bike.