My research focuses on the determinants of political violence and civil conflict, specifically seeking to understand: why and how do nonstate actors (groups and individuals) seek political change, and how does the environment impact decisions to engage in violence? To address these questions, I use a variety of methods and data, employing statistical and formal modeling approaches, coding and analyzing survey, experimental, and observational data.
I have a series of published articles on rebel leadership selection, particularly focusing on the processes predicting rebel elections (published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, with Kathleen Cunningham and Reyko Huang), and their consequences for civilian victimization, particularly sexual violence against women (published in the Journal of Politics, with Kanisha Bond and Kathleen Cunningham), and conflict negotiations (published in the Journal of Peace Research, with Kathleen Cunningham). I am continuing this line of research with a current research project on rebel governance and the determinants of sexual violence against males in civil conflict. I have also published articles using innovative statistical techniques including a spatial autologistic multilevel diffusion model of self-determination movements (published in International Organization, with Kathleen Cunningham) and an instrumental variables analysis and formal model (published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, with Kathleen Cunningham and William Reed).
Within the domain of political violence, my research has focused on individual-level determinants of violence (published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution). To this end, I conducted field work and collected original genetic, survey, and experimental data on participants and non-participants of political violence. This research has won multiple university and field awards, as well as secured multi-year funding from the Army Research Laboratory (with William Reed). As a part of this research agenda, I have conducted field work in the U.S. on individual and network responses to police violence, as well as experiments designed to assess under what conditions exposure to repressive environments triggers aggressive responses.
In a current project, I examine individual-level psychosocial predictors of both support and participation in political violence in the U.S. (with Kanisha Bond and H. Hannah Nam). Through a series of original surveys in the U.S. collected before and after the 2021 Presidential inauguration, we examine the psychological correlates of support for the alt-right and participation in the January 6th insurrection. Critically, we find that the shared psychological characteristics and beliefs of the alt-right holds important consequences for predicting the radicalization of more ideologically moderate Americans and the emergence of political violence in the United States.
My research has been published (or is forthcoming) at Behavioral and Brain Sciences, International Organization, International Interactions, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Politics, Journal of Peace Research, Political Research Quarterly, Politics, Groups and Identities, Politics and the Life Sciences, and Research and Politics.
I received my Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. I hold a master’s degree in quantitative methods from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and an undergraduate degree in violin performance and economics (minor) from Baylor University.
I have a series of published articles on rebel leadership selection, particularly focusing on the processes predicting rebel elections (published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, with Kathleen Cunningham and Reyko Huang), and their consequences for civilian victimization, particularly sexual violence against women (published in the Journal of Politics, with Kanisha Bond and Kathleen Cunningham), and conflict negotiations (published in the Journal of Peace Research, with Kathleen Cunningham). I am continuing this line of research with a current research project on rebel governance and the determinants of sexual violence against males in civil conflict. I have also published articles using innovative statistical techniques including a spatial autologistic multilevel diffusion model of self-determination movements (published in International Organization, with Kathleen Cunningham) and an instrumental variables analysis and formal model (published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, with Kathleen Cunningham and William Reed).
Within the domain of political violence, my research has focused on individual-level determinants of violence (published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution). To this end, I conducted field work and collected original genetic, survey, and experimental data on participants and non-participants of political violence. This research has won multiple university and field awards, as well as secured multi-year funding from the Army Research Laboratory (with William Reed). As a part of this research agenda, I have conducted field work in the U.S. on individual and network responses to police violence, as well as experiments designed to assess under what conditions exposure to repressive environments triggers aggressive responses.
In a current project, I examine individual-level psychosocial predictors of both support and participation in political violence in the U.S. (with Kanisha Bond and H. Hannah Nam). Through a series of original surveys in the U.S. collected before and after the 2021 Presidential inauguration, we examine the psychological correlates of support for the alt-right and participation in the January 6th insurrection. Critically, we find that the shared psychological characteristics and beliefs of the alt-right holds important consequences for predicting the radicalization of more ideologically moderate Americans and the emergence of political violence in the United States.
My research has been published (or is forthcoming) at Behavioral and Brain Sciences, International Organization, International Interactions, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Politics, Journal of Peace Research, Political Research Quarterly, Politics, Groups and Identities, Politics and the Life Sciences, and Research and Politics.
I received my Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. I hold a master’s degree in quantitative methods from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and an undergraduate degree in violin performance and economics (minor) from Baylor University.