I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis. My research interests include American politics and quantitative methodology with an emphasis on developing novel empirical ways to assess and understand the political behavior of racial and ethnic minorities.

I am an expert in Black politics, and my research examines how social and environmental factors shape the political attitudes and behaviors of Black citizens and Black political elites. My first book project, In the Thick of It: The Relationship Between Black People, Black Spaces, and Black Political Unity, reconceptualizes Black political attitude formation and introduces a novel concept and measure that captures how Black social networks and institutions influence Black public opinion. My second co-authored book project, Sistas On the Rise: Black Women’s Leadership in the Congressional Black Caucus, examines how Black women’s increased presence in the Congressional Black Caucus has shaped its organizational structure and functions, legislative agenda, and representation of Black interests.

My published work has appeared in scholarly and general-interest publications, including Political Behavior, Politics, Groups, and Identities, PS: Political Science & Politics, Politics & Gender, and the Washington Post. I am also a Ronald E. McNair Scholar (2017-2018), Ralphe Bunche Summer Institute Scholar (2018), American Political Science Association Minority Fellow (2019-2020), winner of the NYAAPOR Young Public Opinion Scholars Competition (2023), and American Political Science Association Distinguished Junior Scholar in Political Psychology (2023). Most recently, I recently won the Rutgers Outstanding Doctoral Student Award, and I am a 2024-2025 University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles.

I received my PhD in Political Science from Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Before Rutgers, I graduated cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Media Studies from Beloit College.