About Me

Hello! I am a PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Iowa. I received my M.A. in Political Science (2023) and my B.S. in Political Science (2022) from the University of Iowa.

My primary research agenda focuses on how environmental factors, such as natural disasters, subsequently impact state and rebel capacity for war, changing their behavior and tactics during conflict. More broadly, I am interested in how subnational qualities (e.g., proximity, inequality, resource access, exposure to natural disasters) shape attitudes and behavior, as well as how structural or environmental changes within a conflict subsequently change behavior towards other combatants and civilians. In ongoing projects, I create a measure for determining whether the government or the rebels initiated ACLED conflict events. Using this measure, I am interested in explaining how natural disasters alter decision-making over the timing, location, and target of combatants’ attacks within a given conflict, and the larger implications for conflict diffusion and conflict processes.