I am an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee at Martin. As an International Relations scholar, I study the intersection of peacebuilding, global health, and state legitimacy. My research examines how the delivery of public services, especially vaccinations, can enhance state legitimacy and reduce conflict in fragile and conflict-affected states. More broadly, I am interested in how states govern under conditions of crisis or constraint, including how international organizations and non-state actors shape service provision and influence citizen-state relations. My work draws on both field-based qualitative research and large-scale data analysis to explore the political consequences of health interventions, environmental stress, and institutional design. I am also an Affiliate of the Ostrom Workshop, where I conduct research on polycentric governance and learning feedback mechanisms, with a regional focus on sub-Saharan Africa.

I publish in high visibility peer reviewed journals, including Journal of Peace Research, International Interactions, and Population and the Environment with one article submitted to the International Journal of the Commons. I have also contributed a solicited policy report for The Stimson Center and an op-ed for Political Violence @ A Glance on the relationship between environmental variability and social conflict in western Africa. 

I co-organize the Junior Scholars in Quantitative Conflict Research Workshop, a virtual community for PhD students, postdocs, and early-career faculty working on conflict using quantitative methods. The workshop offers feedback on works-in-progress, practice job talks, and networking opportunities in a supportive and rigorous environment. Learn more about the workshop here.

My dissertation, “From Syringes to Stability: The Legitimizing Power of Vaccinations in Fragile and Conflict-Affected States”, explores how fragile and conflict-affected states can build political legitimacy and reduce violence through strategic delivery of public services, with a focus on vaccination campaigns. Based on insights from fieldwork in Kenya and Senegal and drawing on a novel dataset of routine vaccinations, I show that even in low-capacity settings, equitable vaccination efforts can signal responsiveness, rebuild trust, and weaken the appeal of armed groups. This project offers a new perspective on how public health interventions can contribute to statebuilding and peacebuilding.

This website contains information about my research and teaching. My Google Scholar profile can be found here. My LinkedIn profile can be found here. My ORCID and ResearchGate profiles can be found below.