I am an Assistant Professor of Military and Security Studies at the USAF Air Command and Staff College, working in the School for Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies (SANDS). I earned my PhD from Notre Dame in 2016, and my M.A. in 2013. I received my B.A. (summa cum laude) in Political Science and Economics, with a minor in Chinese Studies from Northern Illinois University in 2011.

My research centers on international security, with a particular focus on national security policy and civil-military relations. Specifically, I question why states employ explicit policies and how they achieve their national security objectives with an emphasis on the usage of the military. My book manuscript focuses on why some military tasks are assigned to soldiers, while others are assigned to civilians, and yet in still other cases, soldiers and civilians share responsibility.