Assistant Professor of Sociology, Saint Louis University
I am a spatial data scientist, cartographer, and sociologist whose research focuses on infrastructural inequalities in the United States—especially the ways housing, environmental conditions, access to infrastructure and data shape social and health outcomes. My work combines geospatial analysis, mixed methods, and a strong commitment to data ethics to investigate how mechanisms of insecurity contribute to unequal wellness across communities.
At Saint Louis University, I teach quantitative and geospatial methods, including courses such as Statistics and the Social World, Our World in Big Data and Cartography for Social Justice. I am part of the leadership team building a new minor in Geospatial Analysis and Visualization within our Sociology and Anthropology Department.
Previously, I was a Postdoctoral Associate at Rutgers University’s Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, where I worked on the New Jersey State of Affordable Rental Housing project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. We analyzed the state's stock of affordable housing and housing insecurity using innovative geospatial techniques and administrative data. This work tied closely to my broader interests in housing policy, data transparency, and the effects of disinvestment on communities.
Before that, I served as Community Data Coordinator for the Spokane Public Library and City of Spokane, where I focused on making civic data accessible to the public, fostering community data literacy, and co-developing ethical data governance policies. I collaborated with local agencies and university partners to analyze homelessness and housing data to inform public policy.
I earned my Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Oregon, where my NITC-funded dissertation explored how missing environmental data in cities affects accessibility for people with disabilities—a project that reflects my enduring commitment to data justice. My current research continues this thread by developing the field of critical “Disability GIS.”
I hold an M.S. in Geography and an M.A. in Sociology from Southern Illinois University, and a B.A. in Peace Studies from Whitworth University. My past work has addressed plumbing inequality, the impacts of natural disasters, and the relationship between health and the built environment.
Recent publications appear in Big Data & Society, Annals of the American Association of Geographers, and Cityscape. I am a collaborator on a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grant and co-editor of an upcoming special issue on inclusive cities in Canadian Geographies.
My previous work can be found here..