Welcome, and thanks for tuning in! I am an assistant sociology professor at the University of California - Los Angeles (Go Bruins!).

As a researcher, my interest lies in understanding how marginalized groups experience and respond to social control institutions. Of particular interest is the U.S. criminal legal system, with my current project examining how commercial bail entangles families in a complicated economic and social system of obligation, debt, and punishment.

My approach to sociological research and teaching is rooted in the conviction that lived experience(s) helps us understand and produce knowledge, which can ultimately inform our practices. Whether carrying out interviews, analyzing survey responses, or teaching behind bars or on campuses, I seek out and encourage different ways of knowing.