About Me

I am a health equity researcher whose work examines how public policy and institutional design shape public health outcomes. I am a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar and Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Arlington. I hold a PhD in Public Policy and Political Economy and a Master of Public Policy from The University of Texas at Dallas, a Master of Science in Social Work from The University of Texas at Arlington, and a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Texas Christian University.

My scholarship is informed by professional experience in applied social work settings and examines how political, economic, and administrative institutions influence health and access to care. Using innovative and mixed-methods approaches, I study policy environments affecting populations facing barriers to care in the United States, with an emphasis on practical, scalable solutions and measurable outcomes. As an educator and mentor, I teach graduate and undergraduate courses in health insurance and access to care, immigration and health policy, and social work research methods, emphasizing analytical reasoning, policy evaluation, and evidence-based decision-making.