About

This profile was current as of 2018, when she was part of the on-campus Kellogg community.

I am a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the University of Notre Dame. From 2012 to 2017 I was a Notre Dame Presidential Fellow. I also have a B.A. in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. My research interests lie at the intersection of political violence, state building, and human development. My dissertation asks why some countries that emerge from civil war enjoy enduring, high-quality peace, while others experience recurring violence and make little improvement in ordinary people’s lives. In particular, I study the effects of security sector reforms on conflict recurrence and human development growth, and the conditions under which these reforms are likely to emerge.

I have conducted fieldwork in El Salvador, where my research was supported by the United States Agency for International Development. I have also worked as a research consultant for Glasswing International, a non-governmental organization that works to expand educational opportunities for children in Latin America.

PhD Year
2018
Thematic Interests

My research interests lie at the intersection of political violence, state building, and human development. My dissertation asks why some countries that emerge from civil war enjoy enduring, high-quality peace, while others experience recurring violence and make little improvement in ordinary people’s lives. In particular, I study the effects of security sector reforms on conflict recurrence and human development growth, and the conditions under which these reforms are likely to emerge.

Regions
Research Tags