About

I am a PhD candidate in Sociology at UC San Diego.

My research concerns how organizational, economic, and political contexts influence the way people think about their own financial well-being in relation to work and careers. Although much of the subject matter I work on fits under the umbrella of economic sociology, I often use theoretical tools from the study of organizations. Methodologically, I specialize in interview methods and computational text analysis.

My dissertation explores Gen Z’s financial habits and ideas about money. Surveys show that 45% of Gen Zs became financial investors before they turned 20—an unprecedented level of investment by young people. Using financial investment as a focal point, my research asks several linked questions: (1) How does a young person’s social class background affect their attitudes and behaviors around money? (2) Who becomes a financial risk-taker, and why? and (3) How is Gen Z’s interest in financial markets driven by changing attitudes regarding the proper role of work in life? Through this research, I hope to provide sociological insight into headline-grabbing phenomena like quiet quitting and meme stock investment, and more generally into how young people are adapting to increasing financial uncertainty.

I’m also working with Dr. Amy Binder and Dr. Jeffrey Kidder to understand the structures that support heterodox professionals—specifically, libertarian scholars. Drawing on scholarship about careers, identity, and institutional entrepreneurship, we explore the career persistence of this academic subculture and its implications for higher education as well as other professional fields.