About Me
Hello! I am an environmental social scientist specializing in water and energy policy. My work focuses on the intersection of data, decision-making, and environmental governance.
My research at the Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis examines how individuals perceive and respond to environmental risks, particularly in the context of energy, water quality, infrastructure, and resource management. Using large-scale administrative and survey data, I apply causal inference and machine learning methods to study how institutional performance and trust shape public perceptions and policy support. Much of this work focuses on energy and water systems in regions with low issue salience, where I analyze how objective environmental conditions translate into public awareness and behavior.
I hold an M.P.A. from the University of Oklahoma, an M.S. in Natural Resource and Energy Policy from the Colorado School of Mines, and a B.S. in Chemistry from Colorado State University–Pueblo.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outdoors — camping, bird-watching, and growing fresh herbs.
Tulips on the Colorado School of Mines Campus (May 2022).
From Applied Science to Policy
My career began in the chemistry labs and manufacturing floors of my hometown, where I gained firsthand experience with applied science in complex industrial systems. That experience raised a more fundamental question that continues to guide my work: how do technical systems — and the risks they produce — translate into public understanding and decision-making?
I pursued that question at the Colorado School of Mines, where I shifted from studying systems in isolation to examining how they are governed, communicated, and contested. My work there focused on water and energy systems — not only as technical challenges, but as policy problems shaped by uncertainty, infrastructure, and human perception.
At the University of Oklahoma, under the mentorship of Dr. Joe Ripberger and Dr. Hank Jenkins-Smith, I have developed a research agenda centered on water and energy risk, institutional performance, and public response.
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For a complete and up-to-date record of my journey, please see my curriculum vitae (CV).