What department are you a graduate student in? 

The Department of Political Science.

Why did you decide to go to graduate school?

As an undergraduate, I did original research with faculty in history and criminology on women who voted for Hitler. It was a life and career changing endeavor. I got stuck on the question of how people’s perceptions of the world—however inaccurate they may be!—inform their political behavior. I’m been chasing that question ever since and it led me to a PhD in political science. I also love to teach, so finding a place where I could hunt for answers and teach was a dream come true..

Did your interests change throughout your program? 

It’s hard to say—my interests were under-formed and under-articulated when I began the program, but as I look at the arc of my ongoing work, it’s always revolved around social movements, gender, and voter behavior. As a first-gen PhD student, I didn’t have the technical vocabulary until my second year to recognize or articulate the nature of my research agenda. Jens Grosser and Kai Ou in particular have been wonderful and generous mentors and collaborators.

What do you want to do with your advanced degree? 

I would like to be a professor—I love my research and I really love teaching!