I am a doctoral candidate in political science and graduate fellow with the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma. I earned my M.A. and B.S. in political science from the University of Southern Mississippi.

My dissertation offers a new theoretical perspective on agenda setting and provides new methodological tools for incorporating theory-driven feedback into measures of the U.S. Congressional agenda. The first proposed paper explores how agenda setting affects ideological scaling under various agenda setting regimes and institutional characteristics. The second paper introduces a sequential ideal point estimation framework that addresses endogeneity concerns when determining the spatial location of proposed policy alternatives. The third paper seeks to measure and describe agenda setting regimes over time with respect to restriction severities and when control becomes relaxed. These projects draw on insights and strategies from legislative politics, policy studies, and computational methodology.

My broader research agenda centers on how institutions shape behavior, particularly in Congress and state legislatures. I also actively research religion and politics and new developments in methodology. My work has appeared in Legislative Studies Quarterly, American Politics Research, and the Election Law Journal.