About

I am a PhD candidate in Political Science at The Ohio State University. I was previously a Pre-doctoral Research Fellow at the Boston University Global Development Policy Center. Prior to my doctoral degree, I was a Senior Research Assistant at China-Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University School of International Affairs (SAIS). 

My research lies at the intersection of international relations, comparative politics, and development studies.  My dissertation examines how domestic institutions and incentives within both foreign aid recipients and foreign aid donors co-determine cooperation, relations, and development outcomes at the international level. With a regional focus on Africa and China, and I interested in explaining patterns of international cooperation and great power competition in Africa among great powers such as China and the U.S. 

The politics of foreign aid is an intrinsically mutual relationship, but practical and methodological constraints mean that simultaneously accounting for drivers in both parties is challenging. This challenge motivates my research, which aims to reconcile domestic variables on both sides to explain international outcomes. I am committed to using inquiry driven multi-method approach. My research bridges theory-building and theory-testing by iteratively using qualitative fieldwork data and quantitative development data. 

I earned a Masters in International Development and International Economics from Johns Hopkins SAIS, and my bachelor degree in International Relations from Tufts University. I am a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Namibia, 2010-2012.