I grew up in the Houston area and earned my B.A. in 1993 from The University of Texas at Austin, in the Plan II Liberal Arts Program, with concentrations in French, European Literature, and History. I then moved to Boston, where I earned a M.A.L.D. in 1996 from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University with concentrations in international law and European politics. In 1997, I began work in the Ph.D. program in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, under the direction of Jonah Levy and received my Ph.D. in 2005.

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Given my interest and work in Europe, work and travel are intertwined, which is a great way to live and work. I also enjoy reading, good restaurants, classical music, and spending time with my wife Charlotte, daughter Claire, and cat Phoebe.