His research focuses on peacebuilding and statebuilding after civil war, with an emphasis on rule of law and security institutions. He has conducted fieldwork on these and related topics in Colombia, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire, and has worked in various capacities for the UN Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions, the Political Instability Task Force, and the Small Arms Survey. His work has been published in the American Political Science Review and other venues. He holds a master’s degree and PhD in political science from Yale University, and a bachelor’s degree in education studies and comparative literature from Brown University. He served as a sub-Saharan Africa analyst for Freedom in the World.