Welcome!

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. My research is in comparative politics and political economy, with a focus on migration, forced displacement, conflict, and humanitarian policy.

My work examines how people make decisions about migration and return; how displacement affects conflict, cooperation, and access to resources; and how humanitarian and development programs shape the well-being of displaced people and the communities in which they live.

Much of my work is conducted in collaboration with governments and international organizations and is oriented toward informing policy design in settings affected by displacement. My research has been published in journals including the American Political Science Review, British Journal of Political Science, and Journal of Conflict Resolution.

My work has been covered by media outlets including The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, The Economist, and The Washington Post.

I am affiliated with several research networks and centers, including EGAP, J-PAL, CEGA, IPA, the Immigration Policy Lab, the UCSB Migration Initiative, and the UCSB Center for Middle East Studies.