I am a political scientist and lecturer in the Department of Government and Justice Studies at Appalachian State University. My teaching and research focus on comparative politics, gender and political agency, political institutions, and the Middle East and North Africa.
My research examines how women navigate political, social, and institutional spaces, particularly in contexts where formal structures do not always capture the full range of political participation. My doctoral research included extensive fieldwork in Kuwait and informs my broader interest in gender, institutions, and political agency across the Middle East.
In the classroom, I am especially interested in connecting political theory and social science to the world students actually inhabit. My courses incorporate contemporary politics, popular culture, simulation, case studies, and discussion to help students think critically about power, institutions, gender, conflict, and political change.
