I am the Director of Research at the Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Center for Livable Communities at the College of Charleston. My research interests focus on public policy, program evaluation, state and local governance, education policy, and public and nonprofit administration. 

More specifically, my research examines how policies emerge from the interactions of distinct government entities, whether that be between federal and state policymakers, state and local leaders, or state policymakers and their peers in other states. This research agenda is inspired by the observation that policies are rarely enacted and implemented by one government entity in isolation, which I observed first hand while working in and with multiple state education agencies prior to graduate school. I pursued this research agenda through a variety of ongoing projects, including my dissertation, Who Benefits from Federal Programs? Depends on the State and Program.

I have held roles across state and national nonprofit, private, and government sectors, developping extensive experience in strategic planning, communications, data analysis and visualization, and program evaluation. I earned my B.A. in Public Policy and both my M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Vanderbilt University. Outside of my graduate studies, I enjoy spending time outside running, cycling and chasing after my two children.