I am a PhD candidate in Political Science at Vanderbilt University. My research focuses on political economy, comparative politics, and development, with an emphasis on Latin America.
I study how states and societies build capacity and consolidate authority in rural areas, and how these processes affect institutions, development and political behavior. My dissertation examines how uneven state development in the countryside is rooted in twentieth-century agricultural technological change.
I also study environmental governance and conservation, particularly the effects of environmental institutions on deforestation and public opinion related to environmental resources and climate change.
My work has appeared in Nature, International Studies Quarterly, and other outlets.
I am affiliated with the Center for Global Democracy and the Center for Democratic Institutions at Vanderbilt University, the Climate Social Network at Brown University, and the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) in Brazil.
Vanderbilt University
Latin America Public Opinion Project (LAPOP)
School of International Relations at Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV)
Vanderbilt University
Latin America Public Opinion Project (LAPOP)
School of International Relations at Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV)
My research examines the unintended effects of environmental policies on political strategies and representation quality.
I also explore public attitudes toward climate change and reactions to foreign climate shaming.
In Latin America, climate risk perception is influenced by affect, not by cognition.
My Work
Selected Research
My work has appeared in Nature, International Studies Quarterly, and other outlets.
More projects
article
Determinants of Climate Change Risk Perception in Latin America
Climate change risk perceptions are subjective constructs that individuals use to interpret the potential harms of climate change and influence their engagement in mitigation and adaptation efforts. While research in high-income Western countries has identified cognitive processes, socio-cultural factors, and…
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article
Beyond Jobs: Individual Attitudes Toward Foreign Direct Investment
We find that investing firms’ corrupt and environmentally damaging behavior significantly reduces public support for FDI. Recent scholarship shows that public attitudes toward foreign direct investment (FDI) are shaped by non-economic factors such as ethnocentrism, nationalism, and foreign threat perceptions. However,…
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article
Climate Change Beliefs and their Correlates in Latin America
The ability of climate skeptics to block climate action depends on prevailing beliefs among the public. Research in advanced democracies has shown skepticism about the existence, the causes, and the consequences of climate change to be associated with socio-demographic features and political ideology. Yet, little is…
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article
Nationalist Backlash Against Foreign Climate Shaming
Should international pro-climate actors speak up against climate rogues, or do foreign critics risk igniting nationalist backlash against global environmental norms and institutions? We explore naming and shaming dynamics in global climate politics by fielding survey experiments to nationally representative samples in…
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Contact Me
Let's Talk
If you are interested in knowing more about any of my projects or think we have similar interests, please feel free to contact me.
