I am an Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, with faculty affiliations at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, the Institute of Global Politics, and the Data Science Institute. I also co-direct the Emerging Technologies and International Security Initiative at Columbia’s Institute of Global Politics.

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My research examines the political consequences of information and technology, with a focus on democracy and international security. I am interested in how emerging technologies shape a range of political processes: from elections and protests to armed conflict. I also am fascinated by the role of identity in political violence and nonviolent activism, and how political actors – both state and non-state – strategically use media to influence public behavior.

 

My articles have been published in the American Political Science Review, International Organization, Journal of Politics, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Science Advances, among other outlets.

 

My book, Safe Havens for Hate: The Challenge of Moderating Online Extremism, was published by Princeton University Press in 2025. It explains why militant and hate organizations flourish online despite global efforts to limit harmful content on social media platforms. The book received the 2026 Best Book Award in Information Technology and Politics from the American Political Science Association.

 

At Columbia, I teach courses on democracy and democratic erosion in the AI era, data science and public policy, and text as data. I also advise students across various programs, from undergraduates to doctoral students. Working with and mentoring students is one of the parts of my job I value most. I particularly enjoy advising projects that use empirical evidence to ask big questions about political behavior, media and technology, conflict and security, and democratic institutions.