Hall of Supreme Peace, Beijing

Welcome! I am an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and Global Studies Program at Washington University in St. Louis. Before joining Washington University, I was a postdoctoral research associate at Yale University and received my PhD from Duke University.

My work sits at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations. A first line of my research examines state-building and nation-building. Much of this work focuses on the role of political elites in shaping state development and national identity. A second line studies the international implications of rising powers, including how China’s historical experience and political narratives shape its relationships with foreign states. Across both lines, I am interested in how states build authority at home and exercise influence abroad. I use both archival sources and quantitative data in my research.