I’m an incoming PhD student in international relations at the University of California, Berkeley, and I study power. Specifically, I work to conceptually clarify and measure power in international relations. What is power, and how can we talk about it? Who holds power, and how does it manifest in individuals, groups, nations, and other actors? Which methods of exercising power are most effective? These questions have endlessly fascinated me as an instrument and researcher of IR.

My career began as a philanthropist, facilitating the donation and logistics for over 200 shipments of potable water, nonperishable food, and medicines to areas impacted by war and natural disaster. I worked with Doctors Without Borders and Hanger Orthopedic Group to build better systems for getting supplies to places in need and places with travel restrictions.

In 2017, I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving as a combat photographer. In this role, I conducted strategic communication and public affairs for the across four continents. It was a unique experience; I was a tool for soft power in the largest mechanism of hard power the world has ever seen. These experiences sparked a passion for international relations which I brought to my undergraduate program at Harvard University.

My current projects include: “Science as a (Failing) Industry: The Call is Coming From Inside the House,” an Aristotelian examination of the products and services of universities. I reveal the fundamental errors in the production cycle of postsecondary education, research, and expertise, and how universities can create self-sustaining systems that can help address inequality, conduct research for the common good, and build a more just, stable and impactful university system. Next, “Hot Blood and Soft Power: Diplomacy Works Best When It’s Emotional” with Saphina Chisek-Singh and Ania Lavrenchuk, examines public opinion regarding specific world leaders before and after they visit a foreign country. We demonstrate that public diplomacy surrounding emotional events—funerals, religious ceremonies, and social visits between hostile leaders—have greater impact on public opinion than visits for international summits or routine economic deals. Finally, my core research project “Power: What It Is and How to Talk About It” examines power as described across the social sciences and colloquial use, drawing them together to form a single comprehensive conception and structure for discussing power. You can read more about my work here.