Aloha! I am a sixth year Political Science PhD candidate at Stanford University. In Fall 2026, I will join BYU Hawaii as an Assistant Professor. My work focuses on gender and politics broadly, particularly the political pipeline for women candidates and the institutional factors underlying women’s underrepresentation. I focus largely on local and state elections and party primaries, with a particular interest in the Republican party.

I also research conservatives’ public opinion on key issues such as mail-in voting. My other academic interests include increasing external validity in survey experiments and promoting good questionnaire design.

Here at Stanford, I am affiliated with the Political Psychology Research Group (PPRG), ID2 Lab, and the Center for American Democracy (IRiSS), which funds much of my research. I am also generously supported by a research assistantship through the Center for Revitalizing American Institutions at the Hoover Institution for my sixth and final year. I have also taught an introductory U.S. politics course at Menlo College.

Prior to Stanford, I worked at Qualtrics in project management and survey design, analysis, and reporting. I earned my BA in Political Science with a minor in Africana Studies from Brigham Young University in 2017 and my MA in Political Science from Stanford University in 2022.

After earning my PhD at Stanford, I hope to continue my research and teaching as a professor. I also enjoy sharing materials and advice with applicants to political science PhD programs. As a FLI (first-generation, low income) college graduate, I am happy to share my experiences.

My husband, Zachary, is a CPA, and we have two daughters, Matisse (9) and Violet (5). I am originally from Burley, Idaho. In my spare time, I enjoy ballet, triathlon training, exploring nature, embroidery, family Halloween costumes, and reading Wikipedia. In line with my research interests, I also collect political Barbies.