I am a Lecturer in the Department of International Relations at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, the Australian National University. My research explores the role of leaders in foreign policy decision making, especially how they effect foreign policy change. I am the co-author, with Valerie M. Hudson, of Foreign Policy Analysis: Classic and Contemporary Theory (3rd edition, Rowman & Littlefield, 2019), a leading textbook in the subfield of Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) and have published articles in International Studies Quarterly, Australian Journal of International Affairs, and Asia Policy. I was a visiting fellow at the University of Edinburgh in late 2023 and the Australian National Fellow at King’s College London in late 2019. Since 2016, I have been a centre associate at the ANU’s Development Policy Centre.

Building on my pre-academic career in the international development sector, I prioritise ‘bridging the gap’ between the academy and policymakers. My research draws heavily on insights obtained through elite interviews with politicians, political advisers and policymakers. I contribute regularly to platforms such as The Strategist, Devpolicy Blog, The Conversation, Australian Outlook, New Mandala, and East Asia Forum, as well as to print and online newspapers. I regularly design, facilitates and deliver courses for senior diplomats, defence personnel, and public servants, through my involvement with the ANU Diplomacy Forum. Prior to academia, I worked in the international development sector for a decade as an aid worker, an independent consultant, and a program manager, including three years working on health sector reform adviser in Papua New Guinea.

Foreign policy analysis, foreign policy decision making, international development policy, international relations.

BA (UQ), BEcon (UQ), MIS (UQ), PhD (ANU, 2018)