About Me

Welcome! I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Iowa, where I am also a Research Affiliate with the Center for Social Science Innovation. I received my M.A. in Political Science from the University of Iowa in 2023 and my B.A. in Political Science from Creighton University in 2021.

My dissertation investigates how individual and institutional factors shape the complexity of legislative texts in both Congress and the U.S. states. Drawing on large-scale datasets of bill texts, I conceptualize and develop measures to examine how legislators use complexity to signal expertise, navigate institutional constraints, and appeal to different audiences. Using text-as-data approaches and statistical modeling, my dissertation reveals how legislator’s backgrounds and institutional roles shape the bills they write, showing how complexity functions as a strategic tool of policymaking and representation.

My research has been published in Politics and Governance, and I have a manuscript under review at Political Science and Politics. I am currently on the academic job market.