Welcome! I am an Assistant Professor in the Institute for Politics and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University. My research focuses on international security, political psychology, and the politics of the Middle East and the wider Islamic world. I am particularly interested in understanding the psychological factors – including the biases and misperceptions – that drive violent conflicts, and how they can be mitigated or leveraged to promote peace.

I study questions like when people believe lies and misinformation in war, what shapes public support for violent resistance groups, what drives aggressive American foreign policy attitudes, and how rebel leaders shape modern war and peace making.

I use a variety of methods in my work, from surveys and experiments to large-n econometric analysis and fieldwork. My work is published or forthcoming in International Organization, International Studies Quarterly (2X), the Journal of Conflict Resolution (3X), the Journal of Peace Research, Security Studies, Political Research Quarterly, and Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, as well as more public-facing outlets like The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and Political Violence at a Glance. Before arriving at CMU, I received my Ph.D. in political science at the Ohio State University and my B.A. in political science at the University of Pennsylvania.