Education
M.A. Columbia University, Political Science (2001)
Ph.D. Columbia University, Political Science (2008)
Areas of Expertise
I specialize in comparative politics, with a focus on contemporary African politics.
My current work examines executive succession in Africa between 1960 to the present, considering why successions are orderly and constitutionally regulated in some countries, but unregulated and coercive in others.
Courses
PSCI 141 / GBST 141 / LEAD 141
Bandits and WarlordsPSCI 243 / AFR 256
Politics of AfricaPSCI 249 / INST 249
From Beetroot to Zero Grazing: Comparative Response to AIDS in AfricaPSCI 340(S)
Why States Fail: Political Violence at the End of the 20th CenturyPSCI 341
Modern Midas? Resource Abundance and DevelopmentPSCI 352 T
Comparative Political EconomyScholarship/Creative Work
Domestic Politics and Drought Relief in Africa: Explaining Choices (Boulder & London: First Forum Press, 2012).
How Will Climate Change Transform Governance and Regional Security in Southern Africa?” in Daniel Moran ed. Climate Change and National Security: A Country Level Analysis. (Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2011)
“Social Protection in Post-Crisis Zimbabwe: Challenges and Priorities for Reform,” in Dr. Admos Chimhowu ed. Moving Forward in Zimbabwe – Reducing Poverty and Promoting Growth. (Manchester, U.K.: Brooks World Poverty Institute, The University of Manchester 2009)
“Political Incumbency and Drought Relief in Africa,” in Armando Barrientos and David Hulme eds. Social Protection for the Poor and Poorest: Concepts, Policies and Politics. (Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, 2008)