Youth Civic Engagement

My work bridges literatures of social movements, critical consciousness, and civic education. Notably, I use longitudinal social network analyses to examine relational processes that underlie developmental trajectories of civic agency among youth activists. I am currently working with Dr. Laura Wray-Lake to conduct a longitudinal nationwide study in partnership with the ACLU. My research has been published in top-tier outlets such as the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Youth & Society, and Developmental Psychology.

Educational Technology

Drawing from my background in electrical engineering, my research on educational technology merges interactive media with EEG-based brain-computer interfaces. In collaboration with Professor Jeff Burke and UCLA’s Center for Research in Engineering, Media and Performance, my work leverages podcast-style civic storytelling to measure and reduce affective political polarization among students. My most recent project, funded by the Spencer Foundation, involves an experimental study that will provide the foundation for an adaptive civic storytelling platform capable of adjusting political content in response to EEG signals collected in real time.

Global Civil Society

As the world faces rising authoritarianism, emerging multipolarity, and unprecedented global challenges, I am compelled to apply my research broadly and collaborate with global governance institutions. I provide guidance and expertise to inform the strategic decision-making of international organizations, particularly those that are responsive to youth activist movements. For instance, in collaboration with the Workers’ Rights Consortium, I examined the role of student-activism in the international anti-sweatshop movement, which yielded a co-authored report for the Center for American Progress.