I'm an assistant professor of political science at Western Washington University and was a 2019-2020 APSA Congressional Fellow in the office of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. My research explores representation in American political institutions.

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My latest research project examines the relationship between progressive members of Congress and social justice movements in the United States. The project seeks to detail how progressive Democrats work with social movement organizations and navigate the current political context to achieve their goals. In addition, I will analyze how social identity and/or previous experience with organizing influences the way progressives approach policy and politics. Interviews with progressive members of Congress and congressional staff will be paired with ethnographies in congressional districts. The purpose of this project is to expand our knowledge of congressional representation, to understand how different social identities and backgrounds matter in Congress, and to highlight the work that progressive members and staffers do beyond what we typically see in headlines.

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Thank you to the Center for Effective Lawmaking and the New Perspectives in Studies of American Governance program for supporting this project.