Biography
I am an assistant professor at Texas State University in the Department of Political Science in the Masters of Public Administration Program. I previously served as a post-doctoral research fellow in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. I earned my PhD in Public Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as well as my MS in Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and my BS in Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Research Interests
In research, I answer questions around community and economic resilience. I use public policy and administration theoretical frameworks, coupled with rigorous research designs, and advanced econometric methods, to answer policy-relevant questions. Substantively, my interests lie at the intersection of economics, health, and the environment. I examine how economies react to shocks (e.g., hurricanes), and identify moderating conditions (e.g., entrepreneurship). My independent research has been funded by the Kenan Institute for Private Enterprise. My research has appeared in leading journals, such as the Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Economic Development Quarterly, the Journal of Regional Science, and JAMA Pediatrics.
Teaching Interests
In teaching, I train students to rigorously understand their professional and personal worlds using quantitative analysis and public finance. In quantitative analysis, I train students to use advanced econometric and statistical techniques. In public finance, I train students to understand and apply economic concepts and models to the public sector. Across subject areas, I encourage students to apply these concepts to their own personal and professional lives in an ethical manner.