Specialties: Political Sociology; Social Stratification/Inequality; Economic Sociology; Race/Class/Gender; Quantitative Methods
About Me: I grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan and I use he/him pronouns. I have been drawn to inequality research since I unexpectedly received a scholarship for my undergraduate studies. During my senior year of high school, anonymous donors announced a universal scholarship for all graduates of my school district. I knew that my parents would not be able to help me financially with my studies, so this announcement fundamentally changed my college prospects. This twist of fate sparked an interest in inequalities of opportunity, their causes, and their consequences—an interest that remains at the heart of my research and teaching today.
I aim to provide students with the analytic tools and welcoming classroom space conducive to the sometimes uncomfortable work of connecting our personal lives to social forces and structures. In my courses, students question why we believe what we believe about society and ourselves and cultivate the analytical skills to derive data-driven insights.
Research: My research examines the interrelated dynamics of economic and political inequality, focusing on how they relate to economic insecurity and psychological well-being. This includes studying how gender shapes people’s cognitive and emotional responses to unemployment within different-gender couples. Another line of my research investigates the unequal responsiveness of the U.S. government to the preferences of different groups based on their relative socioeconomic position.
Education: I graduated with a Ph.D. in Sociology from Duke University. I obtained a Master of Public Policy and a BA in Political Science (as well as Middle Eastern and North African Studies) from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.