About

I’m an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and International Studies (PS/IS) with a joint appointment at the Underwood International College (UIC) at Yonsei University, South Korea. Previously, I was an assistant and associate professor at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management (2019–2024).

My research spans comparative politics, political economy of development, and international relations. I study public opinion, foreign aid and public diplomacy, and political behavior in Africa and East Asia. My work has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, British Journal of Political Science, Journal of Peace Research, Political Behavior, Public Opinion Quarterly, World Development, and other journals.

I teach undergraduate and graduate courses in African Politics, Political Economy of Development, Research Design, Quantitative Methods, and Causal Inference. I received the Best Teaching Award at Yonsei University (2024) and the KDI School (2021).

I received a PhD in political science from University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 2019. Prior to that, I worked as a research associate at the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. I also hold an MA in International Affairs from School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University, and a BA in Political Science and Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London.