I research how status, authority, and expertise are negotiated across boundaries—both between different occupations, and between experts and the public—in different organizational settings (startups, large firms, universities). I focus on how these dynamics impact coordination and innovation, particularly during periods of strategic transition. This work sits at the intersection of organization theory, strategy, and economic sociology.
My dissertation, Alternating Currents, follows Gradient (a pseudonym), a multibillion-dollar deep-tech battery startup, over four years through three strategic transitions—the shift from exploration to growth, a product pivot toward powering data centers to support the AI boom, and a forthcoming IPO—using qualitative (primarily ethnographic) methods. I am advised by Arvind Karunakaran, with Kathleen Eisenhardt and Chuck Eesley on my committee. I will defend my dissertation and graduate in spring 2027.
Before my doctoral studies, I earned an MBA from Boston College and worked as a research associate and course assistant at Harvard Business School.
Strategic Transitions · Status · Authority · Occupations and Professions · Expertise Coordination · Ethnography · Organization Theory · Strategy