My research focuses on ethnic conflict, voting, and democratization in ethnically divided societies, with a regional focus on the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. My work examines how and why political actors actively politicize ethnicity. I am especially interested in the ways that candidates invest in markers of their own ethnic identities as a way to communicate with voters, and why voters choose to elect leaders who promise ethnic favoritism at the expense of other groups.

Originally from Dayton, Ohio, I completed my undergraduate degree at the Honors Tutorial College of Ohio University, and my graduate studies in the Political Science Department at Columbia University.  From 2019-2021, I was a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Political Science Department at Central European University based in Budapest.  I am currently an Adjunct Instructor at Fordham University in New York City.