I am a Ph.D. Candidate and Presidential Fellow in Sociology at The Ohio State University, with affiliations at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies and the Translational Data Analytics Institute. Previously, I earned an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Chicago and a B.Sc. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
My research sits at the intersection of politics, culture, and group dynamics, with a particular emphasis on social division and conflict. I also have expertise and interest in quantitative and computational methods. My research has appeared or is forthcoming in journals across the social sciences, including Social Forces; Social Problems; Criminology; Political Analysis; Political Psychology; and Social Science & Medicine, among other outlets. I also have a book under contract (with David Melamed) on mediation analysis in the social sciences.
My teaching reflects this interdisciplinary range. I have independently taught undergraduate classes on Sociology of Terrorism and Research Methods and Writing. Previously, I taught high school mathematics and history in South Korea. My broader teaching and research interests include theory; collective behavior and social movements; conflict and violence; culture; political communication; political sociology; media and society; technology and society; law and society; social networks; research methods; and computational methods.
Much of my prior work has examined the most visible manifestations of division, including extremism, hate, and political violence. My dissertation shifts attention to the nature and foundations of division itself, focusing on what is arguably the most consequential distinction in social and political life: the symbolic boundary between “us” and “them.” Using computational and experimental methods, applied to newly collected survey and social media data, I study how these boundaries are constructed, reproduced, and activated over time.
For a full list of publications and ongoing projects, please see my CV. I also write for and speak to public audiences, including podcasts and news media. Outside of research, I write and perform music (some of which can be found here, along with a music video). I also enjoy playing chess, outdoor sports (of most kinds, but especially those involving water), and hiking with my dog.
My research sits at the intersection of politics, culture, and group dynamics, with a particular emphasis on social division and conflict. I also have expertise and interest in quantitative and computational methods. My research has appeared or is forthcoming in journals across the social sciences, including Social Forces; Social Problems; Criminology; Political Analysis; Political Psychology; and Social Science & Medicine, among other outlets. I also have a book under contract (with David Melamed) on mediation analysis in the social sciences.
My teaching reflects this interdisciplinary range. I have independently taught undergraduate classes on Sociology of Terrorism and Research Methods and Writing. Previously, I taught high school mathematics and history in South Korea. My broader teaching and research interests include theory; collective behavior and social movements; conflict and violence; culture; political communication; political sociology; media and society; technology and society; law and society; social networks; research methods; and computational methods.
Much of my prior work has examined the most visible manifestations of division, including extremism, hate, and political violence. My dissertation shifts attention to the nature and foundations of division itself, focusing on what is arguably the most consequential distinction in social and political life: the symbolic boundary between “us” and “them.” Using computational and experimental methods, applied to newly collected survey and social media data, I study how these boundaries are constructed, reproduced, and activated over time.
For a full list of publications and ongoing projects, please see my CV. I also write for and speak to public audiences, including podcasts and news media. Outside of research, I write and perform music (some of which can be found here, along with a music video). I also enjoy playing chess, outdoor sports (of most kinds, but especially those involving water), and hiking with my dog.