I am a PhD researcher in Mass Communications at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with a doctoral minor in Quantitative Methods. My research bridges political communication and science communication to explain how social positions, cultural grievances, and communication processes shape public responses to institutions, political authority, and scientific expertise. 

My research develops across three interconnected areas: (1) social divisions, cultural backlash, and political behavior; (2) the legitimacy of scientific authority and populist challenges to expertise; and (3) public perceptions of science and their implications for science and health engagement. 

Across these areas, I seek explanations that go beyond partisan identity by investigating the social, cultural, psychological, and communicative processes shaping polarization, institutional attitudes, and public engagement. 

Methodologically, I specialize in quantitative social science research, including surveys, experiments, psychometric scale development, structural equation modeling, and causal inference. I am particularly interested in developing rigorous measures of complex social and political phenomena. 

Much of my current research is conducted through collaborative, multi-investigator projects examining the political and ideological dimensions of science. As a researcher on faculty-led teams, I have contributed to grant-funded projects supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Kavli Foundation. I have also secured competitive student research funding, including an award from the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. 

My broader goal is to produce research that advances theory at the intersection of politics, science, and media while contributing to evidence-based public discourse. I aspire to a faculty career where I can continue advancing this research and mentoring emerging scholars. 

Learn more about my current scholarship on my Research page, and my instructional approach on my Teaching page.