Research and Teaching Interests: International Relations, International Security, Terrorism, Foreign Policy, Conflict Resolution, Geography and Conflict, Counterterrorism Policy, Climate Change and Conflict

Dissertation Title: Splitting to Survive, Fight or Ally: Understanding Terrorist Organizational Splintering 

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Ross Miller 

About Me:  I am a sixth-year Political Science Ph.D. candidate and Dean’s Fellow at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with an expected graduation date of May 2026. I am interested in a range of issues related to international security and conflict. My research focuses on terrorist groups’ behavior and decision-making, including how changing preferences, patterns of violence, and group interactions affect conflict and counterterrorism policy. My three interconnected strands of research address: (1) the behavior of terrorist splinter groups; (2) how interactions between terrorist groups affect conflict resolution efforts; and (3) the effect of changing climate conditions on the spatial distribution of terrorism. I use a range of methods to evaluate my theories, including original datasets, geocoding and spatial analysis, survey experiments, and policy-relevant case studies. I am a passionate teacher with a broad set of teaching interests, receiving strong evaluations in courses that I served as instructor of record. I approach each course with three main objectives that reflect my teaching philosophy: sharpening critical thinking and communication skills; merging theory with practice through classroom exercises, real-world examples, and innovative assignments; and encouraging and facilitating student engagement. I have consistently provided service to our department, including volunteering as a peer mentor for graduate students, cofounding the Political Science Writing Gorup, and serving as an active participant in our department’s Research in Political Science (RiPS) weekly seminar series. In addition, I served as a search committee member for the tenure track position in International Relations and was on the Political Science Graduate Student Association (PSGSA) for two years. Prior to attending UNL, I attended Hastings College, receiving my B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, and the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver to complete my M.A. in International Studies.