Welcome!
I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.
My research interests lie at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations. I analyze dynamics surrounding political violence, civil wars, terrorism, militant alliances, extra-lethal violence, and Middle East politics. My book project 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.
I have published research on these topics in International Studies Review, Terrorism and Political Violence, International Interactions, 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.
Prior to Princeton, I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from George Washington University. During this time, I was a Civil War Paths Fellow at the Centre for the Comparative Study of Civil War at the University of York. I 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 GWU, I designed and taught two semester-length courses: "Political Violence in the Middle East" and "Political Violence and the Jihadist Movement." The GWU Political Science Department awarded one of these classes as the best course taught by a graduate student in 2021-2022. Before GWU, 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 Precept for the Introduction to Public Policy Course at Princeton University.
Aside from work, I love all sports. I played Division-1 soccer at Elon University. I played in over 70 games and multiple NCAA tournaments while making the Southern Conference All-Academic Team in 2010, 2012, and 2013. Despite being old and slow, I still participate in adult soccer leagues and am an avid Manchester United supporter.
I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.
My research interests lie at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations. I analyze dynamics surrounding political violence, civil wars, terrorism, militant alliances, extra-lethal violence, and Middle East politics. My book project 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.
I have published research on these topics in International Studies Review, Terrorism and Political Violence, International Interactions, 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.
Prior to Princeton, I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from George Washington University. During this time, I was a Civil War Paths Fellow at the Centre for the Comparative Study of Civil War at the University of York. I 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 GWU, I designed and taught two semester-length courses: "Political Violence in the Middle East" and "Political Violence and the Jihadist Movement." The GWU Political Science Department awarded one of these classes as the best course taught by a graduate student in 2021-2022. Before GWU, 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 Precept for the Introduction to Public Policy Course at Princeton University.
Aside from work, I love all sports. I played Division-1 soccer at Elon University. I played in over 70 games and multiple NCAA tournaments while making the Southern Conference All-Academic Team in 2010, 2012, and 2013. Despite being old and slow, I still participate in adult soccer leagues and am an avid Manchester United supporter.