Teaching

My teaching begins from a simple premise: students learn best when they are treated as capable participants in difficult conversations. In my courses, we read carefully, write precisely, and work to understand not only what we believe but why we believe it. I aim to help students make their interpretations of political and legal life more complex, more rigorous, and more reflective.

I place particular emphasis on discussion, argumentative writing, and the development of independent intellectual judgment. Whether in introductory courses or advanced seminars, I encourage students to test ideas, engage opposing views, and connect theory to institutional practice.

Democracy Lab

I serve as the director of the First-Year Democracy Lab learning community at George Mason University. In Dem Lab, students explore democratic institutions through a combination of classroom study, site visits, and sustained engagement with public officials and community partners.

The program allows me to mentor students closely as they transition into university life while introducing them to the habits of inquiry that sustain scholarly work.

Courses Taught

George Mason University

Democratic Theory and Practice
Politics of Prisons
Law and Political Thought
Seminar on the Courts and Constitutionalism (graduate)

University of Virginia

Law and Democracy
Constitutional Foundations
PPL Capstone Seminar
Law and Political Thought: Punishment

University of Chicago

B.A. Colloquium for Political Science
Classics of Social and Political Thought
The Politics of Mass Incarceration in the United States

Advising & Mentorship

I have experience supervising undergraduate and graduate theses, advising independent research, and writing recommendations for students pursuing graduate study, law school, and public service careers. I value sustained mentorship and enjoy helping students discover how their interests can become research questions and potential career paths.