I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Policy Leadership at the University of Mississippi. I study how governments learn, innovate, and adapt through complex inter-organizational networks to address challenges in economic development and community building. Specifically, I use causal methods with both observational and experimental data to answer why U.S. state and local governments learn from one another, and whether such learning enhances public service delivery. I also employ social network analysis to examine how policy innovations diffuse across U.S. jurisdictions. 

As an educator, I am passionate about teaching. My teaching philosophy is to (1) create a welcoming classroom environment where every student feels valued, respected, and motivated to learn; (2) establish transparent expectations and empower students by clearly communicating learning goals and building trust; and (3) promote active and applied learning to ensure students engage with real-world issues and develop transferable skills they can use beyond the classroom.