Empirical social science:

Across the United States, communities respond very differently to immigration and demographic change. I am conducting original research on whether local civic capacity—the density and strength of PTAs, churches, unions, and voluntary associations—helps explain why some counties absorb change with stability while others fracture. If so, civic infrastructure may be a concrete lever for strengthening cohesion in pluralistic societies. I have written about the need for partnerships between social scientists and cities to translate such findings into practice for MIT Science Policy Review.

Previously, at MIT GOV/LAB, I studied how generative AI could be used to moderate contentious political debates (like on gun control and DEI) to take out some of the heat and improve deliberative quality. My address at MIT’s Envisioning the Future of Computing Prize on this topic led to MIT launching its first Generative AI and Democracy Symposium, in partnership with 3 HBCUs and Tribal Colleges.

Concerned by how social fragmentation manifests at its most tragic extremes, I developed early-intervention AI tools for suicide-risk detection, supported by the American Psychological Association and the U.S. Air Force and covered by NPR. This work earned 9th place at the Regeneron Science Talent Search.