College of Public Health and Human Sciences

My research interests focus on the field of public policy, spanning three main areas: policy analysis and evaluation, public administration and the policy process. My scholarship ranges from the determinants of policy decisions and governance practices to the impact of public policy decisions on individuals, households and communities. My primary substantive expertise is social policy, especially policies focused on increasing self-sufficiency and social inclusion. However, I have also engaged in research related to stakeholder and policy responses to emerging energy and environmental issues. I tend to take a multi-disciplinary approach to research, drawing on various research traditions (Economics, Political Science and Sociology), depending on the research question(s) of interest. I have experience with both quantitative and qualitative research methods, as well as a long history of conducting contract-based program evaluation and policy analysis for public agencies and non-profit organizations.

As a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Oregon State University College of Public Health, I primarily conduct research related to the Oregon Poverty Measure Project. For that project, I am working with Dr. David Rothwell to develop a supplemental poverty measure for the state, using a combination of administrative data, American Community Survey and Current Population Survey data. I am also in the midst of preparing manuscripts related to my dissertation, which was focused on understanding the factors that have led to state-level policy changes related to services for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disability (I/DD). Finally, I am also working with Dr. Hilary Boudet on a study of community-level attention to climate change, including policy change response, in the wake of extreme weather events.