As a political and cultural sociologist my research focuses on nationalism, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. My dissertation research examined the intersection of Islam, national identity, and democratization in contemporary Tunisia. Additional projects examine state formation in Yemen and citizenship and naturalization policies in Europe. My research interests include:
I hold a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in Religion from Haverford College. In addition to my academic research, I've worked with several think tanks and NGOs on democratization, elections, and governance in the Middle East & North Africa and Europe. I'm particularly interested in electoral integrity and have served as an election precinct chairperson in Ann Arbor, MI and as an international election observer in Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Tunisia, and Yemen. I was a visiting Ph.D. Researcher at the Electoral Integrity Project at the University of Sydney. I was also the Research Director for the British High Commission’s East Africa research program on understanding and preventing violent extremism where I designed and oversaw research in Kenya and Uganda. A native of Atlanta, I have lived and worked in Australia, France, Kenya, Morocco, the Netherlands, Tunisia, and Yemen. |