curriculum vitae
education
University of Oxford. MSc Politics Research. (present)
Barry Scholarship
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. BA American Political Economy & Society; BA Philosophy. (2025)
Morehead-Cain Scholarship; Honors
Thesis: Why people do the work they do and how socioeconomic background impacts their decision-making. I combined empirics and theory through conducting a novel survey study (n = 246) and statistical analysis (incl. clustering, ordinal and multinomial logistic regressions) as well as normative argumentation using theories of work/labor, choice, and well-being.
Advisors: Jeff Spinner-Halev, Cameron Ballard-Rosa, Donna Gilleskie
work & research
Researcher: Career Legacies and Trajectory Data. Morehead-Cain Foundation (2026 – present)
Currently collecting and structuring a novel timeseries dataset of the career trajectories and legacies of alumni of the Morehead-Cain Scholarship over the last 50 years. Combining this data with O*NET, DOT, and BLS data in R to analyze trends.
Research Assistant: Elite Political Polarization. Dr. Luc Bovens, UNC Chapel Hill (2022 – 2025)
What really happened over time to the political preferences of the college-educated and not? We analyzed ANES and GSS timeseries data in R on divisive issues, finding that the ordering of the political opinions of higher education groupings by party affiliation have reversed over the last two decades. Presented on a panel at the 2025 Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Society Annual Conference in New Orleans.
Economics & Statistics Tutor. UNC Chapel Hill Economics Department; UNC Academic Support Program for Student Athletes (2022 – 2025)
Selected as the sole undergraduate tutor for Division I Varsity student-athletes in economics and statistics, and was an undergraduate teaching assistant for the Economics Department for two years.
Assistant Organizer of the Second International Behavioral Public Policy Conference. Dr. Luc Bovens, UNC Chapel Hill (2022 – 2023)
With Professor Luc Bovens of the Philosophy Department, coordinated the Second International Behavioral Public Policy Conference hosted at UNC with over 100 speakers and attendees.
Interim Press Officer. German Marshall Fund of the United States (Summer 2023)
Backfilled the role of Press Officer for the U.S. branch of GMF. Led and managed relationships with POLITICO, the Financial Times, the Washington Post, C-SPAN, and other outlets for the D.C. office.
Consulting Researcher on Baltimore Grantmaking and Permitting Systems. Maryland Philanthropy Network; the Middendorf Foundation (Summer 2023)
Wrote and published with a five-person team a 76-page qualitative report on the public grantmaking and permitting ecosystem in Baltimore through over 25 interviews with government officials and nonprofit leaders. Presented findings to members of the City Government and philanthropies with the Maryland Philanthropy Network, Middendorf, and the Abell Foundation. (See: www.marylandphilanthropy.org/news/like-learning-a-language)
writings & publications
Why do we do the work that we do? A normative and empirical exploration of the relationship between socioeconomic status and work choice. Senior Honors Thesis; passed with Honors (May 2025)
Conviction in Belief, Co-Existence and Communication. The Agora Blog at UNC (Dec. 2024)
History and Hope: Exploration into Neocolonialism in Southeast Asia and ASEAN, and Their Effects on Positionality on the Global Power Balance. Journal of Foreign Affairs at Carolina (Mar. 2023)
Like Learning a Language: Bringing the Voices Behind Baltimore's Permitting and Grantmaking Systems into Conversation. Maryland Philanthropy Network (Dec. 2022)
achievements & in the media
Profiled in Endeavors, the UNC Research Magazine: "Cap to Career". (Apr. 2025)
Profiled by the UNC Research Office’s publication on research at UNC for my thesis, political polarization research, involvement in the Economics Department, and civil discourse work.
"Political Polarization and Higher Education" Panel. Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Society Annual Meeting (Nov. 2025)
Presented research on the temporal trends in political polarization by educational attainment level and party affiliation using timeseries data from the ANES and GSS.
Search Committee Member, Dean & Director Search. School for Civic Life and Leadership, UNC-CH (2023 – 2024)
Appointed by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences as a full member and sole student to the search committee with seven faculty to find and hire the inaugural Dean and Director of UNC’s new School for Civic Life and Leadership.