Welcome

I am a political scientist with substantive interests in behavioral science, international development, intergroup conflict, and taxation. My methodological expertise is in experimental design, survey research, and causal inference. I am generally interested in interventions to improve human well-being and in manifestations of commitment problems and collective action problems.

My dissertation examined the effects of conflict prevention programs in northern Nigeria.  I have collaborated with NGOs Equal Access International and Mercy Corps on academic and policy work throughout Africa.  My dissertation work was featured in the article “Why Do We See So Many Things as ‘Us vs. Them’?” in the April 2018 issue of National Geographic and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2023.

My research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, International Foundation for Electoral Systems, and Evidence in Governance and Politics.  I received my AA from Grand Rapids Community College, my BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan, and my PhD in Political Science from the University of Illinois.

I was formerly Senior Metrics Advisor for USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Rights, and Governance. I currently serve on the Board of Directors for Evidence in Governance and Politics (EGAP). I am also a Research Affiliate for MIT GOV/LAB and a Research Fellow at the Research on International Policy Implementation Lab (RIPIL) at American University.