I am an associate professor in the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington. There, I co-direct the Metropolitan Governance and Management Transitions Laboratory, which focuses on the organizational and institutional challenges associated with local climate resilience. My research explores the linkages between the environment, institutions and collective-action, bridging gaps between the cognitive, social and computer sciences.
Currently, my lab is working on projects investigating organizational challenges surrounding local government sustainability and climate action, U.S. urban water utility management, and the implementation of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act/2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
In the past, I have studied the intergovernmental performance issues surrounding the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program funded by Congress in 2009, the reform of growth management regulations in Florida, citizen perceptions of local government environmental and social programs, and the cognitive biases of citizens and public managers related to climate-mitigation and social equity policies. I was also a Graduate Research Fellow at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), where I focused on cities and sustainable water management.