I’m a political scientist, sketch comedian, and independent creative professional currently finishing a PhD in Political Science at UCLA, where I study political communication, public opinion, and political psychology in American politics. Before entering academia, I spent two decades as a performer, writer, and filmmaker — work that shapes how I think about media, persuasion, and the stories we tell ourselves about politics.
My Story
I graduated from high school early and went to college for theater. After school, I worked as a stage actor in New York and at regional theaters across the country, performing a lot of Shakespeare and the occasional musical. I moved to Los Angeles to explore opportunities in film and television, and taught myself to code in ActionScript (Adobe Flash) to make extra money while auditioning. Clients appreciated my aesthetic sensibility and feel for animation, so my side gig turned into full-time freelance work.
Filmmaker & Creative Director
Over the next two decades, I built Snazzy Co., an independent production company that created content for some of the world’s most recognized brands — Louis Vuitton, Cartier, FENDI, the New York Times, most of the Hollywood studios, and many others. The work ranged from commercials and digital campaigns to identity and branding, as well as many industrial videos. I learned how media is made from the inside — how creative decisions about framing, music, pacing, and visual composition shape the way audiences receive information. That education would eventually inspire my academic research.
Comedy & Performance
Alongside my filmmaking work, I continued performing satirical sketch comedy. I was a member of the Sunday Company at the Groundlings Theater, where I wrote and performed dozens of original sketches. In 2012, I joined the original cast of Quick & Funny Musicals at UCB, eventually producing the show through sold-out runs at SF Sketch Fest and the New York Musical Festival and an appearance on Seeso. Los Angeles Magazine called it a show where “genius is often on display.” I filmed some YouTube videos — including a response video to influencer Joey Graceffa that went viral, garnering over 4 million views. Minor on-camera appearances followed, including Hollywood Darlings (Pop), Suburgatory (ABC), and Dinner with Friends/Family… (Adult Swim), among others. Full credits at IMDb.
I’ve also done a ton of voice-over work, including animated films and shorts, as well as commercial voice-over work for Land Rover, Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, and others. I have been voicing promos for NPR affiliate 89.9 KCRW for over 20 years.
Writing
I am an alum of the Fox Writers Intensive, a development pipeline for television writers. My television writing credits include the original pilots Granted (Fox), Miami Knights (Fox), Chiropractor/Poltergeist, and The Oddballs. I also wrote the half-hour pilot Sugar High for Tom Broecker (Saturday Night Live) and JL Pomeroy’s company BehindTheLine, based on a story I co-created with Laura Schooling.
During the pandemic, I wrote my first book — How I Did It: A Fitness Nerd’s Guide to Losing Fat & Gaining Lean Muscle — a research-driven guide to body composition that drew on my personal experience getting in shape. It was an Amazon best seller, and Kirkus Reviews called it “an accessible approach to weight loss delivered in the voice of a supportive coach,” written in “frank and often funny language.”
Transitioning to Political Science
For years, I volunteered in local politics in West Hollywood, CA, including serving on the Human Services Commission. As a small “contract city” with a council-manager system of government, West Hollywood contracts out its social services to local non-profits. The Human Services Commission monitors those contracts and makes recommendations to the City Council on spending for a range of community needs, including food security, homelessness, HIV/AIDS education, addiction recovery programs, legal guidance, mental health resources, early childhood education, and more.
My experience working with City staff, local elected officials, and non-profit leaders kept prompting questions about how governments decide who gets what, when. How do citizens learn about what their government is up to? Why do some political messages work and others don’t? How does the media shape what people care about? Why is it so hard to change people’s minds even with good evidence?
The pandemic afforded me a unique opportunity to enroll in a master’s program at Harvard University, where I became an affiliate of the Center for American Political Studies and earned a Master of Liberal Arts degree. My thesis examined how subordinate framing — music, color, visual composition — in video news media influences public opinion on homelessness and housing. I presented that research at the 2023 American Political Science Association conference.
I’m now finishing a PhD in Political Science at UCLA, where my research sits at the intersection of political communication, media effects, and public opinion. My current projects examine how short-form political video shapes attitudes toward immigration enforcement, how voters respond to costly climate adaptation policies, and how the Trump presidency has reshaped political comedy — a question I’m perhaps uniquely positioned to study. You can learn more about this on the research page.