At the heart of the human experience lies a fundamental tension: we yearn for connection with others, yet we also strive for independence from the control of others. We cannot achieve much without cooperating with others, yet we view ourselves as unique individuals. Many, (mis)quoting Sartre, remark that "hell is other people." Yet, personal relationships are necessary for our health, happiness, and professional success. What can we make of this paradox? Driven by my fascination with the inherent ambivalence of relationships, my current research attempts to open the 'black box' of network mobilization. Specifically, I am interested in how people mobilize social relationships for economic purposes.
I grew up in Central Ohio, in a working-class family. I studied journalism at Ohio University, and I spent semesters abroad in Spain and Ecuador. After college, I served in the Dominican Republic for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer; I lived in a wonderful dairy farming village, where I taught nutrition classes and trained local youth as peer educators in reproductive health. I received a Master's Degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago, which provided a rigorous and supportive intellectual environment. After completing my PhD in Sociology at The Ohio State University, I joined the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Washburn University in 2018.
In my free time, I enjoy reading, hiking, cooking, traveling, watching soccer, and riding a motorcycle with my husband, Gabriel.
I grew up in Central Ohio, in a working-class family. I studied journalism at Ohio University, and I spent semesters abroad in Spain and Ecuador. After college, I served in the Dominican Republic for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer; I lived in a wonderful dairy farming village, where I taught nutrition classes and trained local youth as peer educators in reproductive health. I received a Master's Degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago, which provided a rigorous and supportive intellectual environment. After completing my PhD in Sociology at The Ohio State University, I joined the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Washburn University in 2018.
In my free time, I enjoy reading, hiking, cooking, traveling, watching soccer, and riding a motorcycle with my husband, Gabriel.
