I earned my PhD from UK in 2018. My primary field of study is International Relations with a minor field of Comparative Politics. I am broadly interested in civil conflict, civil-military relations, and unrest. My primary resarch focus centers on the determinants and effects of military mutinies. I have collected the first global sample of mutinies. This data is forthcoming in the Journal of Peace Research.

The last few years, I have developed an extensive teaching toolkit, having taught at both The University of the Cumberlands and Centre College. Teaching in a liberal arts environment has allowed me to develop a number of high impact practices, such as service learning projects and other experiential techniques. At Centre College I taught a class on the global refugee crisis. For this course, I partnered with Kentucky Refugee Ministries to carry out a service learning project that allowed students to witness the resettlement process first hand in our local community. Students helped teach citizenship classes to resettled refugees, and as a result, learned the human stories associated with civil war. The theoretical side of conflict is easy to teach through reading research articals and discussing concepts. What is far more challenging is teaching the human impact of conflict. This class was able to push forward on both of these goals to ensure a comprehensive experience for students. This year, I am continuing on my path of becoming an innovative instructor as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky.