About me

I was born in Boulder, CO, and went to high school in Iowa City, IA. I received my undergraduate degree from Carleton College in Northfield, MN before pursuing my PhD in Davis, CA. I was a collegiate swimmer at Carleton College from 2015-2019 and served as captain (social) from 2018-2019. 

Using nationally representative survey data, my research explores an alternative motivation for people to identify as independent in terms of whether they have positive feelings about others who are also nonpartisan. Results indicate independents exhibit in-group favoritism towards their group (i.e., other independents) and out-group animus towards the parties. “Expressive nonpartisans,” who have high affect for other independents, are not apathetic toward democracy and are more likely to be registered to vote than other independents, but they have low confidence in government and are concerned about the country’s future.  I was honored to receive the 2024 Data Innovation Award from Cornell University's Collaborative Midterm Survey for the survey instrument utilized in this study. 

I am the lead author of a paper 2024 paper in Electoral Studies that explores voter turnout in jurisdictions with ranked choice voting (RCV). Many jurisdictions in the United States have recently adopted single-winner RCV to replace first-past-the-post plurality elections. RCV may increase turnout by incentivizing increased contacts with voters. Previous attempts at assessing the relationship between RCV and turnout in the US have been limited by a lack of individual-level voting data measured across all cases where RCV is and is not used. Using administrative voter turnout records with millions of cases nationwide, the results indicate there are significantly higher probabilities of voter turnout in places that use RCV. Additionally, the paper shows evidence to suggest that campaigns in RCV places have a greater incidence of direct voter contact compared to similar places that do not use RCV. A follow-up paper using voter file data analyzes whether Blacks, Latinos, Asians and white non-Hispanics in RCV jurisdictions are more or less likely to vote nationwide and in California. This study is under review. We are extending this research to study if RCV benefits lower SES voters, including people from different income groups, using voter file data & credit bureau report data. 

In the area of political communications, I am coauthoring a forthcoming chapter in a Cambridge University Press book on podcasting using qualitative methods. Despite the promise to abet free speech as one of the world’s least-censored media forms, podcasting’s democratic function is uneven and highly contested. Podcasting's greatest assets include aural communication and expressive power delivered through the human voice, but these qualities can also become a liability As Walter Lippman pointed out, any crisis in Western democracy should be understood as a crisis in journalism. This chapter examines the current trajectory of the far-right podcast ecosystem toward growing ideological extremism and disinformation rooted in a critique of mainstream media. Top shows in this genre leverage such critiques to undermine the authority of professional journalism and present themselves as more truthful and reliable sources of information. Compared to centrist and left-leaning podcasts, the far-right podcast ecosystem generates content at an extraordinarily high volume and frequency. This form of political communication can pose a threat to democracy because of the significant influence of these shows on the American electorate in recent years. 

I am a fan of all things sports!  I enjoy swimming, lifting, running, cycling, hiking, and hanging around outside whenever I can. Dachshunds are my favorite dog breed - I currently have one named Mojo but hope to have many more in the future.