Welcome!

I am a PhD Candidate in the Politics department at the University of Virginia, and an aspiring scholar in the fields of political science, health policy, and public opinion. I am also an Adjunct Lecturer of Health Studies at the University of Richmond.

My research examines the politics of health in the United States. I study how political polarization drives health skepticism, vaccine hesitancy, and distrust of scientific expertise -- and how these attitudes in turn shape voting behavior, affective polarization, and public opinion toward health policy. A central focus is on the roles of widening social divides, political messaging, and partisan media in reshaping the relationship between public opinion, policy, and politics - often through the lens of public health.

Together, these dynamics reflect examples of political determinants of health -- how political forces shape patterns of health outcomes across the United States -- with implications for how institutions of public health, scientific research, and healthcare delivery respond to a polarized society and rising health skepticism.

A core contribution of my work is conceptual and measurement-focused. I endeavor to develop and validate constructs that capture the symbolic and political dimensions of health skepticism, conspiracy ideation, and oppositional activism, providing replicable tools for researchers and practitioners.

My work has appeared in journals such as Research & Politics and Preventive Medicine Reports.

I hold a Master of Public Health from the University of Minnesota, a Master of Global Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, and a BA in History and Anthropology from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Before graduate school, I worked in international development roles in Bolivia and Peru, worked as a journalist for the start-up publication Urbanitus in Austin, and worked in lobbying related to health policy in St. Paul.

I am an avid fan of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Tigers, Texas Longhorns, Virginia Cavaliers, and Richmond Spiders.

I live in Richmond, Virginia, with my wife and two cats, and I have seen Dave Matthews Band in concert 69 times [and counting].

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