I am a political scientist whose research to date has focused on non-violent responses to conflict, the political economy of international aid, and social protection in fragile, conflict and violence affected states. My research interests and record are interdisciplinary in nature, simultaneously falling under international security and relations, comparative politics, and international development sub-fields. While my dissertation employed qualitative and ethnographic methods, I am also partial to mixed methodologies and draw from the comparativist tradition in my work.
My current projects include working papers on humanitarian response, social protection programs in lower-income countries, climate resilience, and research at the intersection of governance, social cohesion, and political violence. I am also currently working on a reference book and developing 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 non-violent responses to conflict, including foreign aid and displacement and migration dynamics, but also seeks to advance pressing questions about authoritarian processes in both higher- and lower-income contexts as well as a distinct line of research focusing on climate resilience.
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. I am also currently an Associate Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, an affiliation I have held since 2022. Since 2019 and while completing my PhD, I have worked as a research consultant on World Bank projects examining social protection programs 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 fifteen years of cumulative experience in the global development and humanitarian sectors.
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 European Union states. Although it should go without saying, the current political climate in certain places warrants asserting that I fully support and actively advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.