Hometown: Boise, Idaho
Research Interests: My research explores how collaborative governance processes shape regional food systems, with a particular focus on legitimacy, credibility, and equity. I study how regional actors—including Food Policy Councils—navigate cross-jurisdictional governance, engage in multistakeholder collaboration, and work to build trust across diverse constituencies. Through this work, I aim to better understand how governance structures and decision-making practices influence the effectiveness, sustainability, and inclusivity of local and regional food policy.
Grounded in an interdisciplinary background in public policy, management, and religious studies, my research is driven by questions about how governance systems can become more responsive to the communities they serve. Drawing on my professional experience in grocery retail operations and nonprofit development, I investigate how on-the-ground practice can inform the design, implementation, and legitimacy of policy processes—especially within food systems that must balance efficiency, justice, and resilience.
Methodologically, I use qualitative, community-based approaches—including multisite case studies and comparative analysis—to examine the inner workings of food governance organizations. I am particularly interested in how collaborative efforts operate in different regional contexts, and in how internal and external credibility are developed and maintained among stakeholder groups. My current work focuses on U.S. Food Policy Councils as a case through which to explore these dynamics, with broader implications for understanding public administration, cross-sector strategy, and institutional trust in local governance.
Ultimately, my goal is to produce research that both enhances academic scholarship in collaborative governance and supports practitioners in building more equitable and effective food systems.
Undergraduate Institution and Major:
B.A. Public Policy and Religious Studies, Albion College
Teaching Experience:
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, PLSC 312: American Political Development, Albion College, Spring 2018
Relevant Professional Experience:
Community Action Network (CAN), AmeriCorps VISTA, 2021-2022
The Kroger Company of Michigan, 2018-2021
- Division Labor, Scheduling, Expense, Sanitation, and Sustainability Manager
- Regional Operations Field Specialist
- District Associate and Customer Experience Coordinator
- Store Management (in-store)
City of Albion Food Hub, Aggregation Intern, 2016-2017
Honors and Awards:
Early Offer Eminent Scholar Fellowship, The Ohio State University, 2023-2026
University Fellowship, The Ohio State University, 2022-2023
ENGIE-Axium Supplemental Incentive Recruitment Scholarship Award, 2022
Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, 2022
Albion College Board of Trustees Member, 2018-2020
The John and Willimae Cheek Award, 2018
The Gerald R. Ford Leadership Award, 2018
Phi Beta Kappa, 2018
Omicron Delta Epsilon, 2018
