Professional Bio

I am a PhD candidate in Political Science at Penn State University, specializing in contentious politics within autocratic regimes, with a regional focus on China.

My research explores the diffusion of information through both everyday and official language, examining how it shapes and facilitates contentious behaviors. I also investigate the strategic use of language tactics in both state and societal contexts. Methodologically, I draw on text-as-data approaches, survey methods, and causal inference.

My dissertation centers on the drivers of “connective action”—coordinated, yet loosely connected, actions by citizens without formal organizational infrastructure. Using an original dataset of over 300,000 citizen petitions from China, my work identifies previously undertheorized patterns of “connective action” and assesses its potential as a steppingstone for mass mobilization in authoritarian settings.

I hold a BA in Political Science from McGill University and an MA in Political Science from Penn State University.