About
I’m a proud St. Louis native, granddaughter of the Great Migration, and 6th-year sociology doctoral candidate. My research interests broadly focus on the intersection of U.S. housing policy and law with race and gender. My dissertation is a case study of the Housing Choice Voucher Program in St. Louis. I’m currently interviewing Black women voucher tenants to learn how housing authorities, landlords, and inspectors shape their access to quality housing. With my work, I hope to broaden public and scholarly housing debates beyond affordability. Prioritizing only affordability is not enough, especially as the U.S. housing stock continues to age. We must also prioritize making homes safe and healthy, too.
I value and actively engage in public scholarship. I’m currently involved in two efforts that creatively use my sociological training for public good. First, I work with a Michigan-based nonprofit that investigates housing discrimination under federal, state, and local laws. Second, I’m a member of the Housing Deterioration & Home Repair Working Group—a collective of scholars and practitioners advocating for improving housing quality for all Americans regardless of tenure, income, race, age, or zip code. Under the direction of Dr. Todd Swanstrom and the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, I helped co-organize the “Preserving Homes, Strengthening Communities: A Home Repair Symposium” in March 2025. Watch for our forthcoming book “The Other Housing Crisis” in late Summer 2026.
Prior to grad school, I worked as an elementary teacher in Kansas City, Missouri. I hold a M.Ed. in Elementary Education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a B. A. in Sociology and African American Studies from Colby College. I am also an alumna of the Leadership Alliance (Harvard '16-'17), Teach for America (TFA '18), and the Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers (IRT '19).
Outside of the academy, you can find me reading a novel, playing with my adorable niece and nephews, binge watching the latest shows, or knee-deep in endless craft projects.
