He received his Ph.D. from Duke University in 2012. His research deals with the political economy of development and conflict. Current work deals with spatial variation in state capacity and presence in the case of colonial rule. He is also interested in the territorial re-organization of states and the effects of decentralization on local politics and conflict. His work has been published in the American Political Science Review, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Conflict Management & Peace Science, Comparative Political Studies, and Comparative Politics.