As a student of the late antique and early medieval East Roman Empire, I gravitate towards political history and history of religion. My particular interests include ecclesiastical politics, schism and religious violence, conversion and missionary initiatives, and frontier studies. I also maintain an interest in trans-eurasian trade and silk road studies. I work with Greek, Syriac and Latin sources, but I am currently studying Arabic and classical Armenian.

I am also interested in contributing to the continued growth of the study of Near Eastern Christianity, particularly Syriac, Armenian, and Christian Arabic literature. In January of 2015 I co-organized and participated in a graduate conference at the University of Oxford entitled "Syriac Intellectual Culture in Late Antiquity", supported by the Ertegun Programme and the Oxford Centre for Late Antiquity.

During the academic year of 2013-14, I studied at Oxford as an Ertegun Scholar, where I completed an M.St. in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies with distinction. In fulfillment of the degree requirements I wrote two papers, "The payment program of Cyril of Alexandria through a pro-Nestorian lens" and "Sericulture and raw silk supply in the East Roman Empire, c. 552-755".

I received my B.A. from the University of Richmond (Virginia) in Greek, Latin and Classical Civilization, summa cum laude. While at Richmond I was also a Richmond Artist Scholar and was active as a pianist, chamber musician and vocalist in the Department of Music.

Dissertation Title:

"“The Tottering House of the World”: The Ruralization of the Miaphysite Church in the Works of John of Ephesus (c. 507–88 C.E.)"