Research Interests

My dissertation is tentatively titled “Allies and Adversaries: The Smithsonian Institution, Scientific Cooperation, and American Foreign Policy in the Age of Ecology.” It examines the turbulent nature of science-state relations during the dawn of environmental diplomacy from the late 1960s to the early 1990s. The government wanted to utilize scientific expertise in its public diplomacy efforts during the Cold War. However, while cooperation bore fruit, the scientific community sought to undermine political objectives when they were prioritized over scientific exchanges. How and why this relationship became so tumultuous is the focus of this project. This research will add to the growing literature on the history of science and environmental diplomacy and will reexamine the roles of scientific and technological experts in American foreign relations.

In addition to my research, I am passionate about teaching. I served as the TAMU History Department’s Career Diversity Fellow during the 2019-2020 academic year, where I contributed to the creation of the department’s graduate pedagogy curriculum. In addition to serving as a teaching assistant for four years, I taught survey history courses at Lone Star College. I am currently a history teacher at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, DC.

Accomplishments

• 2016 – TAMU History Department Graduate Research Grant
• 2015 – TAMU College of Liberal Arts Professional Development Award
• 2011 – McCarthy – Potter Fellowship