
PUBLICATIONS
-
Here, we demonstrate that the impact of leader visits to foreign countries is positive when the leader engages with the public, but not when they’re visiting for policymaking. International travel is part of the job for the modern politician, with nations investing millions in public diplomacy every year. To assess whether these visits provide return on investment, we analyze the international travels of 15 leaders over 11 years. By comparing public opinion of the host country immediately before and after each visit (e.g., public opinion of Chinese leadership in the U.S. before and after Xi Jinping visits) we show that public engagement is associated with positive changes in public opinion, and visits solely for settling policy disagreements are associated with negative effects. These findings suggest public diplomacy remains an important mechanism for soft power but can backfire.
-
Here I reconcile decades of scholarship on power across a multitude of disciplines and form a comprehensive framework for assessing and conceptualizing power. I demonstrate the effectiveness of this model by applying it to scenarios in international relations, national and local-level politics, and interpersonal relations. I break down the differences in actors, objectives, and abilities associated with differing forms of power, particularly focusing on the categories of abilities known as hard power, soft power, and a third, previously understudied category which I call formative power. This framework should serve as a model for assessment of power dynamics in all manner of social and cultural relations and clarifies sometimes muddled or interchanged conceptions of power. It may also provide foundations for the comprehensive measurement of power.
-
Radical action is necessary to respond to modern threats to the legitimacy of science as a vocation. These challenges are hardly a new phenomenon, and science has responded to these critiques to varying success. Here, I conduct a normative analysis of the role science as a vocation is expected to fill in society, relating these expectations to recent criticism. Then, I suggest institutional and individual action which may revitalize and reorient science to fill the roles expected of it. This analysis is an important step in regaining the public trust, reputation, and status that science should hold.
-
Here I defend the uninformed voter and demonstrate that the modern vote should not be decided by individual policy issues. Critics of democracy correctly argue that individuals are unable to understand technical information required for all political decisions. However, in pure democracy, voters are expected to judge expert opinions rather than interpret information themselves. This makes voting a second-order decision. Then, critics may reasonably claim that the layman cannot hold the information necessary to judge expert opinion on all matters. However, voting in a democratic republic is a third order decision. Voters need only select a representative with good judgement rather than judge expert opinion. I develop a frame for candidate evaluation and suggest methods of reorienting public depictions of candidates, campaign policy, and civic education to better fit the citizen's goal in voting. I suggest empirical investigation of the layperson's ability to assess judgement and motivations behind candidate selection and approval ratings. I conclude by discussing this model relative to normative arguments for leader selection in different political systems.
-
Plato’s allegory of the cave is one of the most prolific philosophical concepts. Scholars have criticized the religiosity, elitism, and arrogance in the allegory, but have failed to assess it completely. Through analysis of the text and application of modern scientific perspectives, I reveal that Plato’s protagonist is not driven by divine right or arrogance but primarily by chance. This conception sheds new light on the allegory of the cave and the essence of truth and freedom. These findings are imperative in understanding the foundations of western beliefs and ideals and interpreting modern theory.
-
In 2020, I wrote a news article which summarized a timeline of racial integration in the Marine Corps. Many of the milestones I gathered in the article were shockingly recent, an important reminder of lingering disparities in the U.S. Military. In 2025, the article was scrubbed from all public Department of Defense records in a campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion. The graphic I made to accompany the article can be found here.
This article is classified as a U.S. Government work, and is therefore in the public domain (The Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 105). As such, this article should be publicly accessible on the defense visual information distribution service and other DoD sites to comply with Freedom of Information Act conditions and the precedent of released government works being made accessible on these sites (The Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552; DoD Directive 5400.07).
-
This video depicts the final deployment of the AV-8B Harrier with VMA-214 "Black Sheep.” The squadron flew the aircraft for 33 years, ending with the flight shown at the end of the video, taking off from the flight deck of the USS Essex (LHD-2) into the sunset.
You can watch the video here.
-
This video demonstrates the ways the U.S. Marine Corps interacts with outer space to accomplish it’s missions (i.e. have power). Capt. Kyle Mako narrates over my first attempt at animation, which you can see here.
-
This video displays the experience of U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Fernando VazquezSerrano, an airframe mechanic deployed on the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Most of the time, the pilots get all the love, but for every pilot there are dozens of Marines on the ground making sure the pilots stay up in the air. I really appreciated the opportunity to speak with Fernando, a man dedicated to service and his craft.
You can see my final product here.
-
This video depicts one of the impressive capabilities of our ground combat units in the U.S. Marine Corps. The mechanical and explosive breaching tactics shown here are carefully developed and practiced to ensure maximum safety and precision. In other words, these tactics are developed to minimize the resources necessary to have power in relation to their goal, opening a door (I don’t know why they didn’t just try the handle).
You can experience the impressive coordination and discipline of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and Battalion Landing Team 1/1 here.
Though I no longer do photography professionally, I’ve kept the habit of bringing my camera on trips. Some of my favorite images from before and after I left the Marine Corps are below.