I study intergroup relations and conflict
I'm interested in how social boundaries — race, ethnicity, class, disability, nationality — get constructed, politicized, and contested. A big part of that is measurement: figuring out how to observe things like discrimination, bias, and exclusion that people often try to hide. Much of my work asks a simple question: why do people so frequently treat those who differ from them poorly, and what might actually change that?
This isn't just academic for me. I grew up in a poor, blended, biethnic family shaped by multigenerational trauma, and I saw discrimination's effects firsthand — especially along class and ethnic lines. That background eventually led me to study class-based discrimination, which remains surprisingly neglected despite how profoundly class and money shape opportunity. Growing up without a stable home, in trailer parks and public housing, made that connection hard to miss. I now run the Fundamental Needs Lab, which focuses on this work.
In earlier research, I documented discrimination against groups defined by disability, ethnicity, gender, nativity, race, and religion — across the United States, the Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, and the Former Soviet Union, all regions where I've lived and done extensive fieldwork. Working across these settings helps me understand how people in different societies decide who deserves fair treatment, and how history and institutions shape those judgments.
Methodologically, I increasingly use computational text analysis, machine learning, and large language models — often alongside experiments — to study social processes at scale. Field and survey experiments remain a key part of my toolkit, but I think of them as one component of a broader measurement strategy. More recently, I've started exploring whether AI itself can serve as an intervention tool, testing whether AI-powered personalized persuasion can reduce prejudice.
My work appears in over 40 journals, including the American Journal of Political Science, the American Political Science Review, the British Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, Nature, Nature Human Behavior, Political Analysis, Public Administration Review, and PNAS. I also write for public audiences in outlets like The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, The Diplomat, and South China Morning Post.
This work has been covered by NPR's All Things Considered, CBS News, The Asahi Shimbun, The Atlantic, The Economist, and many other outlets. It's been cited by organizations like the ACLU and in U.S. House testimony and State Department reports. I'm grateful for funding from the American Political Science Association, the Swedish Research Council, the Research Council of Norway, and the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research.
I'm actively involved in the scholarly community in the Asia-Pacific, serving as Associate Editor at the Australian Journal of Political Science and on the editorial boards of the Asian Journal of Comparative Politics, the Japanese Journal of Political Science, and other journals. I'm also Secretary of the Australian Society for Quantitative Political Science.
Across all of this, my goal is to understand how social boundaries translate into unequal treatment — and when, if ever, they can be softened or overcome.
I used to do a lot of other things
Before entering academia, I worked across politics, research, journalism, education, design, and data science. These experiences continue to shape how I think and teach.
I'm not always at my desk
When I'm not working, I'm usually with my family, exploring new places, practicing yoga, shooting photos, cooking, or playing basketball. I'm endlessly curious about Asia Pacific and the former Soviet Union, and I find joy in visiting universities around the world to see how others approach learning and community.
I root for North Melbourne 🏉, Manchester United ⚽, the Denver Nuggets 🏀, and all good basketball.
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