Associate Professor, Political Science
About
I am currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Michigan. Prior to beginning this appointment, I was the Jeffrey L. Hyde and Sharon D. Hyde and Political Science Board of Visitors Early Career Professor in Political Science in the Department of Political Science at Penn State University. In June 2013, I graduated with a PhD in political science from the University of California, San Diego. I also studied at the University of North Texas, where I graduated with an MS in political science (2007), a BFA in drawing and painting (2005), and a BA in political science (2005).
My core research interest is in the politics of human rights, violence, and repression. I use computational methods to understand why governments around the world choose to torture, maim, and kill individuals within their jurisdiction. Other projects cover a broad array of themes, ranging from foreign aid to American voting behavior, but share a focus on computationally intensive methods and research design. These methodological tools, essential for analyzing "big data", open up new insights into the micro-foundations of state repression.
