research summary

Hello! I am a PhD/JD doctoral student at University of Minnesota. In my research, I aim to reinfuse the study of law with the real, human experiences at the core of legal cases, specifically in refugee and asylum law. Incorporating narrative method into legal analysis reveals both purposeful and accidental perpetuation of negative stereotypes of those seeking asylum and refugee status. This inquiry will also help to make legal processes clearer and more accessible to asylum and refugee seekers. My work is interdisciplinary by nature, combining not only law and literature, but Sociology, Political science, immigration policy, Public Policy and American Studies.

As of spring 2025, I have finished my law school curriculum and English preliminary exams, and continue to focus my research on asylum and refugee legal narratives. For the 2025-2026 academic year, I am the Instructor of Record for English 1301W, US Literature and Social Injustice. I designed this course to reinfuse literary studies with a legal bend, looking at meaningful moments in immigration history and contextualizing them through fiction.

I had the pleasure of speaking to the University of Minnesota Department of English Communications Associate Terri Sutton recently. Check out that discussion here.