Welcome!
I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Previously, I was a Presidential Fellow at George Washington University and a Civil War Paths Fellow at the University of York's Centre for the Comparative Study of Civil War.
My research interests are at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations. I analyze dynamics surrounding political violence, civil wars, militant alliances, extra-lethal violence, and Middle East politics. I have published on these topics in International Interactions, International Studies Review, Terrorism and Political Violence, Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, and the Texas National Security Review. I also connect my research to ongoing policy discussions, writing for outlets such as the Irregular Warfare Initiative, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the United States Institute of Peace.
My book project, Pledging Allegiance to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State: The Causes and Consequences of Rhetorical Cooperation, explores two primary questions: Why do armed groups rhetorically cooperate with other organizations? How does rhetorical cooperation affect organizational tactics and alliance durability? To answer these questions, I analyze the behavior of 161 jihadist groups operating in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. In doing so, I draw on internal organizational documents, Arabic-language primary sources, and original data on jihadist groups' tactics and oaths of allegiance to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Prior to Princeton, I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from George Washington University. I also hold an M.A. in Arab Studies from Georgetown University, an M.A. in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a B.A. in Political Science from Elon University.
I am also a passionate and devoted educator with experience teaching in different settings and supporting students from diverse backgrounds. As an Instructor of Record at GW, I designed and taught two semester-length courses: "Political Violence in the Middle East" and "Political Violence and the Jihadist Movement." GW's Department of Political Science awarded one of these classes as the best course taught by a graduate student in 2021-2022. Before GW, I volunteered as an English language teacher in Hebron in 2014, teaching various proficiency levels to Palestinian children, teenagers, and adults. Currently, I am a Lecturer for the "Introduction to Public Policy" course at Princeton University.
Aside from research and teaching, I love animals. Rio, my pup, is a big part of my life. He is the absolute best study buddy and we go on adventures everyday. I also love sports and played Division-1 soccer at Elon University, participating in multiple NCAA tournaments while making the Southern Conference All-Academic Team in 2010, 2012, and 2013. Despite the past decade of misery, I am still an avid Manchester United supporter.
I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Previously, I was a Presidential Fellow at George Washington University and a Civil War Paths Fellow at the University of York's Centre for the Comparative Study of Civil War.
My research interests are at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations. I analyze dynamics surrounding political violence, civil wars, militant alliances, extra-lethal violence, and Middle East politics. I have published on these topics in International Interactions, International Studies Review, Terrorism and Political Violence, Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, and the Texas National Security Review. I also connect my research to ongoing policy discussions, writing for outlets such as the Irregular Warfare Initiative, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the United States Institute of Peace.
My book project, Pledging Allegiance to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State: The Causes and Consequences of Rhetorical Cooperation, explores two primary questions: Why do armed groups rhetorically cooperate with other organizations? How does rhetorical cooperation affect organizational tactics and alliance durability? To answer these questions, I analyze the behavior of 161 jihadist groups operating in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. In doing so, I draw on internal organizational documents, Arabic-language primary sources, and original data on jihadist groups' tactics and oaths of allegiance to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Prior to Princeton, I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from George Washington University. I also hold an M.A. in Arab Studies from Georgetown University, an M.A. in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a B.A. in Political Science from Elon University.
I am also a passionate and devoted educator with experience teaching in different settings and supporting students from diverse backgrounds. As an Instructor of Record at GW, I designed and taught two semester-length courses: "Political Violence in the Middle East" and "Political Violence and the Jihadist Movement." GW's Department of Political Science awarded one of these classes as the best course taught by a graduate student in 2021-2022. Before GW, I volunteered as an English language teacher in Hebron in 2014, teaching various proficiency levels to Palestinian children, teenagers, and adults. Currently, I am a Lecturer for the "Introduction to Public Policy" course at Princeton University.
Aside from research and teaching, I love animals. Rio, my pup, is a big part of my life. He is the absolute best study buddy and we go on adventures everyday. I also love sports and played Division-1 soccer at Elon University, participating in multiple NCAA tournaments while making the Southern Conference All-Academic Team in 2010, 2012, and 2013. Despite the past decade of misery, I am still an avid Manchester United supporter.