I am a criminologist studying the intersection of social control, organizations, and social networks. I am currently a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in sociology at the University of Kentucky and a Food Connection Fellow at One Rural Collective. My research explores how formal social control marginalizes ordinary people and how affected communities resist through relational practices. In my dissertation, I investigate the criminalization processes in post-revolutionary Iranian music, uncovering the ways in which cultural producers navigate state censorship.
Building on my criminological research on networks and social control, my collaborative work with One Rural Collective examines how similar dynamics operate within and across organizations. Our research investigates how power structures shape the distribution of resources and influence environmental outcomes, particularly in rural contexts. Using network methods, we trace patterns of corporate consolidation in the mining and agriculture sectors and analyze how these processes reproduce economic inequality and ecological harm.
I am also interested in international criminology, particularly in issues of state crime. My work explores the macro-level conditions conducive to state-sponsored violence across democratic and authoritarian contexts through comparative analysis.
I hold an M.Sc. in Social Science Research from the National University of Iran and an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Kentucky. Before beginning my doctoral studies, I spent ten years working as a music journalist. I continue to enjoy discovering new artists and exploring Lexington’s music scene in my free time.
For more information about my research, teaching experience, and CV, please visit the relevant sections of this website.