Research Interests
My interests lie in the intersection between the theoretical and the practical, and finding ways to make normative concepts align more closely with political and social decisions.
Masters in Comparative and International Education, University of Oxford
I am currently completing a Masters in Comparative and International Education. My research centers on Black parents' perspectives on school choice programs, and explores continuities and discontinuities related to school choice. Ultimately, this research does not stake out a normative position on school choice, but instead seeks to understand another aspect of sociopolitical decision-making.
Masters in U.S. History, University of Oxford
I received my masters in U.S. History from the University of Oxford in the class of 2018. My research examines movements for racial justice in the U.S. ranging from the mid-twentieth century to the Black Lives Matter Movement. With a particular methodological reliance on oral history, my research sought to preserve voices and details of every day people and students whose recollections, together, paint a fuller picture of how racial progress has been made in the U.S.
Politics Honors Program & Undergraduate Thesis, University of Virginia
The Politics Honors Program at the University of Virginia is modeled after the Oxford tutorial system, and brings together six to seven students starting during their third year of study to undergo an in-depth exploration of the four areas of politics focused on at the University: Political Theory, International Relations, American Politics, and Comparative Politics.
My undergraduate thesis project explored one very specific type of political behavior: that of individuals serving on juries. First exploring philosophical ideas about what makes a good citizen and ancient Athenian juries, followed by exploring how majority-minority juries behaved, I eventually conducted an experiment. The experiment asked how different framing of jury nullification might influence an individual juror's likelihood to return a not guilty verdict. Ultimately, I argued that one route by which we might move closer to the Aristotelian good citizen is to encourage jury nullification and jury due diligence.
My undergraduate thesis project explored one very specific type of political behavior: that of individuals serving on juries. First exploring philosophical ideas about what makes a good citizen and ancient Athenian juries, followed by exploring how majority-minority juries behaved, I eventually conducted an experiment. The experiment asked how different framing of jury nullification might influence an individual juror's likelihood to return a not guilty verdict. Ultimately, I argued that one route by which we might move closer to the Aristotelian good citizen is to encourage jury nullification and jury due diligence.
