I am a political scientist with broad interests in the comparative political economy of (i.) transnational processes like migration and crisis response and of (ii.) distributive politics in both authoritarian and democratic settings. My recent research has focused on the politics of international aid; displacement and migration; and social protection in fragile, conflict and violence (FCV) affected states. While my dissertation employed qualitative and ethnographic methods, I am also partial to mixed methodologies and draw from the comparativist tradition in my work.
I just completed my PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) where I was supported by the LSE Studentship Funding Scheme and where I currently am a Fellow. While completing my PhD, I also worked as a researcher consulting on World Bank qualitative research projects examining social protection and displacement in fragile and conflict-affected states. Prior to joining academia, I previously worked as a conflict and development researcher for US government agencies, the World Bank and the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security.
I completed my master’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service where I concentrated on sub-state conflict and post-conflict development and democratization. I also completed a certificate in Refugees, Migration & Humanitarian Emergencies from the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown. In Montreal, I obtained a BA Honours degree in Geography at Concordia University in 2009 and have since acquired ten years of cumulative experience in the global development and humanitarian sector.
My current projects include working papers on displacement response and international organizations and research at the intersection of governance, social cohesion, and political violence. I also aim to develop my book project on host government obstruction of humanitarian aid for publication in an academic press. My future research agenda aims to further my current work on transnational engagement, including foreign aid and displacement and migration dynamics, but also seeks to advance pressing questions about democratic and authoritarian processes in both higher- and lower-income contexts.
I have native fluency in both French and English, and I speak intermediate, conversational Spanish. I also strive to learn local languages whenever given the chance and have lived and worked in many different countries in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. I am currently permitted to work in the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union.