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Research
My major field of study is International Relations with a minor in Comparative Politics. I am broadly interested in civil conflict, civil military relations, and domestic unrest. My most recent research explores military mutinies. Military mutinies are an understudied topic of civil military relations. I have collected new longitudinal data that will allow scholars to analyze the determinants and effects of military mutinies across cases, regions, and time. Why do military mutinies matter? Military mutinies are shaping civil conflict in the 21st century by redefining civil military relations and emboldening non-state actors. Mutinies play a major but understudied role in determining the onset of civil wars, the strength of non-state actors (e.g. terrorist networks or rebel groups) and the likelihood of military coups that inevitably reverse democratization. My research and teaching interests include: Military Mutinies Civil Military Relations Civil Conflict Pro-Democracy Protest Events Protest Diffusion African Politics Quantitative Methods |
Teaching
During my time as an instructor, I have sought to accomplish two very simple, yet imperative pedagogical goals. First, I teach my students why politics matter. Regardless of what field students end up in, there is no doubt that policy will have an impact on their subsequent profession. As such, my courses spend a significant amount of time focusing on the impact of politics, be it in an international or domestic setting. My second pedagogical goal is to have student challenge conventional ways of thinking. There are a number of research findings in Political Science that turn conventional wisdom on its head. I always make an effort to present these bits of knowledge because not only do they draw students’ interest, but they encourage students to think outside of the metaphorical box. It is my belief that non-traditional ways of thinking help move individual careers along and advance society more broadly. Interacting with students who are able to push the boundaries of traditional thinking makes me realize that in the next few decades, some of our greatest challenges might be overcome by students in our classrooms now. Thus, it is imperative to keep pushing them towards the boundaries of our discipline. Courses Taught: Intro to Political Science International Relations Comparative Politics Special Topics: Refugee Crisis African Politics Political Violence Intro to Political Analysis and Inference Law and Legal Education American Politics |
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