I am a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Georgia (UGA), specializing in social psychology, gender and sexuality, and mental health and illness. My dissertation research examines the impact of contextual factors on social interactions, specifically how the presence and gender of an anticipated witness, alongside the content of a perceived identity threat, influence an individual’s response. My work aims to advance social psychological theory while speaking to larger, real-world social issues. My broader research explores the intersections of identity, gender and sexuality, mental health, and artificial intelligence (AI) in the United States healthcare system, with published work in the Handbook of Social Psychology. I have expertise in experimental design and advanced quantitative methods, and I serve as a Project Manager in the Laboratories for the Study of Social Interaction (LASSI).

As an instructor and Future Faculty Fellow through the UGA Center for Teaching & Learning, I position myself as a facilitator in the classroom aimed at helping my students work together to apply the sociological perspective to current social issues. Recognizing that many sociology students are planning for careers outside of academia, my teaching approach features scaffolded projects designed around students' specific professional aspirations. My goal is for students to create career-ready deliverables (policy proposals, portfolio pieces, news articles) that bridge academic theory with real-world application. At UGA, I have taught two upper-level courses, "Gender and Interaction" and "The Sociology of Mental Health and Illness." I am also the Editorial Assistant for First Publics, an online community of practice centered on teaching as an essential form of public sociology. I hold an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Georgia and B.A. degrees in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Kentucky.