About Me 

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I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS)'s Department of Political Science. Before joining NUS, I was an assistant professor at Yale-NUS College. During my time at NUS, I have been a Governance and Local Development fellow, a visiting fellow at the American University of Sharjah and a visiting assistant professor with The MacMillan Center at Yale University. Before moving to Singapore I was a Middle East Initiative (MEI) post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. I obtained my PhD in Politics from Princeton University. The son of diplomats, I spent parts of my childhood in Kuwait, France and Bahrain before returning to the US for college and graduate school.

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I am a scholar of the international and comparative political economy of development, with a primary focus on the Middle East and North Africa. My scholarship examines two developmental challenges in particular: limited economic integration, and gender inequality. Pairing regional expertise with qualitative and quantitative methods, my work exposes the social, historical and international underpinnings of these barriers to prosperity in the Arab world, and beyond.   

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​My research has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals. My book, Mirages of Reform: The Politics of Elite Protectionism in the Arab World was published with Cornell University Press (2025). I also lead the Small States in Peace and War Research Forum. Below are some of my current works in progress. Please email me if you'd like a copy of these working papers.

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Works in Progress

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"What Trump Gets Right and Wrong about US - MENA Trade," (Under Review). ​​​​​

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"Civil Conflict and Transnational Identity," with Matthew Nanes and Risa Toha.

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​​​​"The Costs of Exit: Female Labor Migration and Gender Equality in Countries of Origin," with Lim Tian Jiao and Thiti Thitipankul.

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"The Commander's Daughter: Dynastic Ties and Voter Support for Female Candidates in Post-Conflict States," with Risa Toha.

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"Electorate Size and Female Representation: Evidence from State Legislative Assemblies in India," with Isabella Gupta. 

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"Diasporas, Modernization and 19th Century Globalization", with Isabella Gupta and David Jacks.

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