About

I am a sixth year PhD Candidate in Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, a Doctoral Student Affiliate of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, and Graduate Fellow of the Notre Dame International Security Center. I am a Comparativist studying religion and politics. My dissertation project explores historic explanations for the contemporary use of religious rhetoric by nativist parties in Central Europe. My broader research agenda explores the interaction between religious identities and political exremism.

I have a Masters in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School in 2016 at Tufts University and I received my BA in Medieval Studies and History from the University of Chicago in 2008. Prior to Notre Dame, I worked as Director of Communications for a Chicago city councilman and on campaigns in the Chicagoland area.

PhD Year
2022
Thematic Interests

My work focuses on civic engagement between transnational religious traditions and states -- with a regional focus on Europe. I focus on how minority religious organizations and communities engage with their local governments to have their religious needs met and to acquire state resources. I am especially interested in sub-national variation of integration of these minority religious communities in Europe.

Current Research

I am interested in the role religious identity can play as a strategic tool of political parties, and the role religious identity plays in determining individual-level political behavior.