Hello and welcome! I am a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics at Bates College. I will be starting as a tenure track assistant professor at the University of New England in August 2024. I hold a masters degree and a PhD in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I research and teach about American judicial politics, criminal justice, and political institutions. My research focuses on the impact of race and gender on public opinion of U.S. courts and their decision making; institutional development and judicial behavior in generalized and specialized courts; and media framing of criminal justice policy. I also conduct research on teaching and learning in the classroom, including the effectiveness of simulations as active learning tools.

I teach courses on subjects relating to law and courts, criminal justice, and American Politics. My teaching interests center on American political institutions, judicial politics and behavior, criminal justice public administration, and political communication. As a sole instructor, I have taught undergraduate courses on Introduction to American Government, Judicial Process, the U.S. Supreme Court, Civil Rights and Liberties, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Media and Politics, and Political Parties and Elections. I have also taught Administrative Law in a Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program.

I previously served as the pre-law advisor for the University of South Alabama, where I worked with hundreds of motivated students interested in going to law school. I am passionate about demystifying law school admissions and making the application process accessible to students. I recently won a competitive College-wide advising award.

Originally from Georgia, I attended the University of Georgia and earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science and digital and broadcast journalism.

On this site, you will find more information about my research and teaching interests, as well as a downloadable copy of my curriculum vitae.