I am an assistant professor in anthropology and African American & Africana studies at the University of Kentucky.

My primary research interests include disasters, Caribbean island geographies, racial ecologies, and climate change. My local research project, recently funded by NSF, explores risk and vulnerability in Eastern Kentucky.

Prior to joining the University of Kentucky, I worked as an emergency management specialist at FEMA, where I contributed to policy, strategy, and doctrine products, and provided assistance to planning and preparedness efforts. I also served as a GIS specialist at FEMA's National Response Coordination Center; I supported situational awareness and decision-making during disasters.

I am a recipient of multiple fellowships and awards, including the NSEP Boren Fellowship to Haiti and the Haiti's Future Leaders Fellowship. Based on my dissertation, I am currently completing my first book project on flooding, risk and vulnerability in Haiti.