I am an Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. I was a Visiting Assistant Professor in Political Science at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY from Fall 2023 to Spring 2025.

I received my Ph.D. in political science from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, SUNY. I study comparative politics and international relations with a regional focus on East and Southeast Asia.

My book project, Haunted by the Past: Historical Trauma Frames and Anti-Military Protests in East Asia, derived from my dissertation, examines why some communities mobilize against militarization while others do not. It argues that a key factor in variation in mobilization is local identity and activists’ use of historical trauma frames—narratives that invoke contested memories of past violence or marginalization to construct collective identity and mobilize protest. Drawing on subnational case studies from Japan (Okinawa and Yokosuka), South Korea (Jeju and Pyeongtaek), and the Philippines (Palawan), the book demonstrates how local identity, memory, and emotion shape civilian–military relations and contentious politics

Prior to obtaining my Ph.D., I received my B.A. in Political Science from the University of Southern Maine and my M.A. in International Affairs from American University’s School of International Service. For information about my research, my teaching, and me, please have a look around my site.

I also host a Subtack page with Keith Preble, Ph.D., entitled “Currents in US Foreign Policy,” in which we summarize our published or in-progress research and analyses not found elsewhere on various aspects of US foreign policy.