Welcome
I am a sociologist that uses mixed methods to study gray markets and the dynamics of politically motivated violence. Broadly, I work at the theoretical intersection of crime, law, and deviance, political sociology, and economic sociology. Specifically, I have two current research programs: 1. Studying how semi-legality is a professional asset and liability for commercial cannabis businesses in the United States, and 2. Utilizing innovative computational text analysis techniques to study the motivations for, and consequences of, terrorism, mass shootings, and human rights violations.
I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Sam Houston State University. Formerly, I worked as a Research & Evaluation Specialist at the Pima County Superior Court to conduct process and outcome evaluations of pre-indictment diversion programs in the greater Tucson area.
My most recent article “Surveillance, Social Control, and Managing Semi-Legality in U.S. Commercial Cannabis” has been published online in Social Problems. Please email me if you would like preprint access.