I am an independent social scientist and writer interested in the human capacity to navigate the unknown.

I have a PhD and MSc. from the University of Oxford (UK) where I conducted anthropological research with households facing major life transitions in the Northeastern United States. I later conducted a study on uncertainty and wellbeing with over 80 households in the early days of the pandemic (see: Research + Teaching). My research investigated the techniques these individuals and households use to sustain wellbeing in uncertain times. During this time, I also collaborated with the Oxford Unit for Biocultural Variation and Obesity (oxfordobesity.org).

From 2018-2020 I was an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in writing for the social sciences at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where I taught courses on uncertainty, environmental change, social justice, and writing. I have a BA in Gender Studies (University of Connecticut), with a focus on the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, and class. From 2021-2025, I was the managing editor of Caring for the Ages and I’ve freelanced as an editor and writing coach for the last twenty years. I continue to conduct research in public health related to asbestos and the corporate manipulation of science and scientific uncertainty (see: Research + Teaching) and work in publishing.

I’m a born-and-raised New Englander with a love for the forest, mountains, and the sea. You can find me at a hot yoga class, hiking the hills (always with a thermos of tea), dreaming by the sea, writing and painting at home, or enjoying food in the company friends.

Portraits by Daniella Dawson.