I am an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Georgia. My research examines how economic hardship affects child maltreatment and overall family well-being, with a particular focus on the role of financial assistance programs in mitigating these effects. Currently, I am investigating the impact of state-level economic support policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic on child maltreatment prevention, using population-based linked administrative data and natural experiment designs. I actively collaborate with local communities to ensure that research findings meaningfully inform and advance policy implementation. In addition to my research, I am deeply committed to teaching and mentoring students to become a diverse new generation of practitioners and scholars. I welcome students with shared research interests to join the lab and contribute to policymaking in improving child and family well-being.
If you were an animal which animal, would you be? A cat!