About me

I am a research agricultural economist at the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). I have expertise in food systems, food retail markets, the food environment, community economic development, and socioeconomic inequality. I am interested in combining frameworks from economic theory with novel data, machine learning, and causal inference techniques to address complex research questions in the context of changing food systems.

My dissertation investigated the economic impacts and implications of the expansion of dollar stores across the United States. I employed machine learning (ML) models to study dollar store growth from 2000 to 2020, leveraging their data-driven approach and predictive accuracy to understand dollar store location strategies. I also used an ML imputation method to investigate the causal effects of dollar store entry on household food access and on competition with small grocery stores and supermarkets, respectively. My research has broad applications in causal analysis, economic development, inequality, and sustainable food systems.

This website contains information about my previous and ongoing research.