Sep 2016 - Nov 2017

Research Director, Together Project, Toronto

In 2016 I co-founded and was the Research Director of Together Project, which matches groups of volunteers to under-serviced Government-Assisted Refugees. From a research perspective, we sought to test hypotheses that access to social networks leads to better integration outcomes for refugees.

Sep 2009- Aug 2017

Teaching Assistant, Dept. of Political Science, University of Toronto 

I taught over 1200 students during my PhD. TAs are responsible for running weekly small-group tutorials, grading, course logistics, and working with students to develop research and writing skills. See my Teaching page for more information.

Sep 2008 - Aug 2009

Policy Researcher, Innovation Policy Branch, Transport Canada, Ottawa

Primary responsibility was overseeing and conducting research on OECD country innovation policy.

Education

Sep 2009 - Aug 2017

PhD in Political Science, University of Toronto 

Field Exams in International Relations & Development Studies. Thesis Committee: Professors Steven Bernstein, Randall Hansen, and Phil Tridafilopoulos.

Dissertation: “Malignant Europeanization: Schengen, Irregular Migration Governance, & Insecurity on Europe’s Peripheries.” Thesis successfully defended with no revisions. See my Research page for a detailed project description.  

Sep 2007 - Aug 2008

MSc in Social Science, University of Amsterdam

​Concentration in Global Governance & Conflict Resolution. Thesis: “Perpetual Impermanence: The Dual Separation of Palestinian Refugees from Refugee Studies and the Refugee Regime” under Reinoud Leenders.

Sep 2005 - Aug 2007

Hons BA, Peace & Conflict Studies / Political Science, Univ. of Toronto

Specialist degree in Peace & Conflict Studies, with additional major in Political Science. Thesis Topic: Historical/Philosophical Dialectics and Narratives of Middle Eastern Conflict

Sep 2001 - Aug 2005

BA, Philosophy & History, University of Ottawa

I enrolled as a mature student at the age of 22, having previously worked as a tradesperson. It was during this degree I learned to think and write. 

Conference Presentations

“America First, Canada Last? US Policy Change as a Driver of Irregular Migration to Canada,” International Studies Association Annual Convention, Toronto, 30 March, 2019.

"Harnessing International Migration Relations: Why Supporting the Global Compact for Refugees is in Canada's Self-Interest," Delivered to Global Affairs Canada, Ottawa, 24 October, 2018.

"A North American Irregular Migration System? Scholarly Insights from the European Context," Metropolis North America Policy Forum, Mexico City, 28 September, 2018.

“Walling the Syrian Refugee Crisis: Authoritarian Regimes, Dirty Deals, and European Foreign Policy Learning,” International Studies Association Annual Convention, San Francisco, 8 April 2018

“Complementarity and Contradictions in Canada / EU Migration Research,” Plenary Panel, Metropolis Conference 2018, Calgary, 22 March, 2018.

“Malignant Europeanization: Schengen, Irregular Migration Governance, and Insecurity on Europe’s Peripheries,” International Studies Association Annual Convention, Baltimore, MD, 22 Feb 2017

“Burden-Sharing in a Zero-Sum World: State Responses to the Western Balkan Refugee Crisis,” American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, 2 Sep 2016

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“Responses to the Syrian Refugee Crisis from Europe to Canada,” Department of Political Science, University of Guelph, 10 March 2016

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“Identifying and Analyzing Gaps in Protection for Asylum Seekers from the Middle East: Recent Research and Findings,” Centre for Ethics, University of Toronto, 29 Jan 2016

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“Irregular Migration, Europeanization, and Insecurity on Europe’s Peripheries,” American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA. Sep 2015

“Contributions and Shortfalls of Social Science Methods for Forecasting Forced Migration”

Canadian Association for Refugee & Forced Migration Studies Annual Meeting, Toronto, May 2015

“The Syrian Refugee Crisis: The Problems of Spillovers and Institutional Carrying Capacity” presented at the University of Toronto by invitation of UNICEF Canada, 27 Jan 2015

 “Theorizing Migration for International Relations” American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, Aug / Sept 2014          

“Understanding Irregular Migration Systems: Israel’s Response to its Unexceptional ‘Infiltrators’,” Schwartz-Reisman Jewish Studies Conference, University of Toronto, Apr 2014

“States Behaving Badly: State Practice and ‘Bad’ Norms in the International Refugee Regime” International Studies Association Annual Convention, Toronto, ON March 2014        

*Winner, Steven Poe Best Graduate Student Paper, Human Rights Division

“Population Movements as a Driver of Change in the International System” International Studies Association Annual Convention San Francisco, CA, Apr 2013         

“The Stranger Who Sojourns Among You: Understanding the Contemporary Sinai Migration Route” presented by invitation at Conservative Yeshiva, Jerusalem, Israel 15 July, 2012

“Israel’s New Other: Sociopolitical and Religious Cleavages around the Issue of African Migrants” Association for Israel Studies: Multicultural Israel in Global Perspective, Haifa, Israel June 2012          

“The Political Geography of Climate Migration in North Africa,” Roots & Legacies: Confronting Politics in the Post-Colony, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, 28 Jan 2012

“Regressive Territoriality as a Cause for War in the Middle East,” Yitzhak Rabin Conference in Political Science, International Relations, and Public Policy, Jerusalem, Israel Dec 2011

“Pathologies of European Migration Controls: Origins of Abusive Human Trafficking Networks in Egypt & Israel,” Governing Migration and Integration in Europe's System of Multi-level Governance, University of Victoria, BC Oct 2011