I am broadly interested in East Asia’s rural political economy. Currently, I am working on research projects related to rural governance and agribusiness development in China.
Starting with my first visit to China in 1999, I have traveled extensively in Asia and dedicated more than five years to living and studying there. I have spent significant time in the Chinese cities and rural peripheries of Harbin, Beijing, Kunming, and Ganzhou. I also lived for short stints in Taipei and Seoul.
Besides the book with Cornell, my research has appeared in World Politics, The China Quarterly, The China Journal, and Current History, among other outlets.
I am part of the Public Intellectuals Program (PIP) of the National Committee on US-China Relations (2023-2025) and a former Wilson China Fellow (2022-2023).
Previously, my studies were supported by the Blakemore Foundation, the Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation, the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships Program, the Fulbright-Hays and Fulbright IIE Programs, and the National Science Foundation.
I hold a B.A. from Wellesley College in Chinese Studies (2001) and a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University (2012).
I was born in Michigan, grew up in Georgia, and now live in Washington DC. Georgetown has been my institutional home since I started teaching in 2012—Hoya Saxa!
