I hold a BA in Political Science and International Studies from West Virginia University. My research centers on the state: its security, legitimacy, and capacity to maintain authority. My work examines phenomena that challenge the state, including terrorism and organized crime, while also exploring how states establish and sustain legitimacy both within their borders and in the international system. I am particularly interested in processes of legitimization and the broader threats that shape state authority.

Beyond political science, I am interested in art and art history, history, enology and wine, creative writing—particularly second-person storytelling—and cooking and baking. I have a fascination with culture, narrative, craftsmanship, and the ways people make meaning through both ideas and material life.