I am a Lecturer in Political Science at the University of California, Merced. I received my PhD in Political Science from Stanford University, where I specialized in American and comparative politics. Previously, I served as the Thomas D. Dee II Graduate Fellow at the Bill Lane Center for the American West.

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My current research focuses on the emergency powers available to policymakers in all 50 states, D.C., and the U.S. territories, the use of those powers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their development over the last century. The project is in partnership with the Brennan Center for Justice, the Hoover Institution, and the Bill Lane Center.

 

My research focuses broadly on state and local politics, including representation, institutional change, and public policy. My dissertation project explores the rise of directly elected offices in American states and counties from 1776 to 1900. Another set of projects examines the politics of elected county sheriffs. My other interests include nonvoting representation for tribes and U.S. territories in state legislatures and Congress, respectively. 

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I also hold an M.A. in Political Science from Stanford, and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from The Ohio State University. My research has been supported by the Tobin Project, the Hoover Institution, and the Bill Lane Center.

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