About

I am an assistant professor of Asian Politics. My research examines the relationship between popular contention, state power, and civil society in contemporary China. My book “Mobilizing Without the Masses: Control and Contention in China,” examines state control and civil society contention under authoritarian rule.

Articles that are part of this broader project have been published in Governance (2017), Comparative Political Studies (2017), and The China Journal (2018), among others.  My writing and research have also appeared in The Economist, Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, Boston Review, Nick Kristof’s On the Ground Blog (The New York Times), PostGlobal, and Global Brief.

I hold a D.Phil. In Politics and an M.Phil. In Development Studies with distinction from Oxford University, where I studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Prior to joining the department, I was a Walter H. Shorenstein Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University.  I was also a Predoctoral Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. My research has been supported by the Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation, the Chiang Ching Kuo Foundation, and the Rhodes Trust.