I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Political Science Department at the University of Pittsburgh and an Andrew W. Mellon Predoctoral Fellow for the 2024-2025 academic year. My research focuses on the intersection of comparative political behavior, public opinion, social psychology, and experimental methods.

In my dissertation, I examine how voters navigate the tension between party loyalty and democratic commitment, and explore the foundations of pro-democratic motivations through three distinct projects. The first project investigates the conditions under which the conflict between party and democracy becomes consequential and when it triggers cognitive dissonance for voters. The second project explores how partisan and democratic motivations unconsciously shape voters' attitudes and behaviors to alleviate this dissonance. The third project analyzes the origins of pro-democratic motivations using a political socialization framework. My dissertation aims to contribute to the growing body of literature that examines voters' support for democracy-subverting politicians.