I am a sociologist with a PhD from the University of Washington, where I also completed a special concentration in Social Statistics at the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences. My work spans social movement theory and collective action, the sociology of religion, identity, environmental sociology, and the comparative study of nationalism.
My dissertation, Sacred Bonds: Ritual, Identity, and Nationhood, develops an interactional theory of belonging through a comparative study of Iran and Turkey, and a related article appeared in Theory and Society in 2024. I use mixed methods, and I work in Azerbaijani, Turkish, Persian, and English.
I have taught introduction to sociology, criminology, drugs and society, social stratification, sociological theory, social movements, research methods, and statistics. My teaching appointments include the University of Washington, Hofstra University, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Cascadia College, and Everett Community College. I also write and speak publicly on identity, protest, ethnic inequality, and human rights.