I am an academic, writer, and 'retired' military spouse. As a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) of Politics and International Relations at Cardiff University in Wales, United Kingdom, I study the dynamics of nuclear deterrence and nonproliferation, and how nuclear technologies act as a diplomatic tool. I am also a cofounder and CEO of Highly Nriched, a nonpartisan resource for mentoring and teaching resources on nuclear issues. Highly Nriched expands the variety of voices and opinions represented in the nuclear field by making teaching resources and mentoring opportunities widely available through a crowdsourced online hub.

My academic career started at the University of Chicago where I earned my MA in International Relations and PhD in Political Science. I held a Stanton Fellowship at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University; a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies Middlebury Institute of International Relations in Monterey and Washington DC; and was a Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies in ETH Zuerich, Switzerland.

In 2013-2014, I worked for the United States Congress as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in the Office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), where I advised the Senator on the repeal of the combat exclusion policy for women service members; the Iran nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action; sexual assault in the US military; and new approaches to cyber threats. Subsequently, as a fellow at the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress, I co-authored a report on "Cyber Operations in DOD Policy and Plans: Issues for Congress."

As a military spouse, I had a front row seat to the evolution of the US military’s relationship to sex and gender. I am a speaker on the topic of diversity and inclusion in the US military and was a founding member of the LGBTQ+ Initiatives Team, one of the Air Force’s barrier analysis working groups. In 2022, with the support of Out & Equal, I organized the inaugural LGBTQ+ reception at the Air Force Association’s Annual Conference where we welcomed the Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, and Assistant Secretary for Manpower, Alex Wagner, as speakers. 

Currently I am working on a book project that captures the stories of the first generation of women to serve in combat as members of Air Force Special Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

My academic and public-facing publications have appeared, among other places, in Millennium, Critical Studies on Security, The Nonproliferation Review, Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks and The New York Times.

My family and I split our time between Wales in the UK and Texas in the US. When I am not working, I enjoy travel, horseback riding, and spending time with my wife and daughter.