My Work

While all the pages on this website pertain to work I’m involved in, this page is reserved for projects directed by myself. These are still related to my major research interests, highlighting my independent work within those fields. Below is a selection of those projects.

Political Science Honors Senior Thesis

Who’s the Best Friend? Comparing In-Group Favoritism between Orthodox Jews, non-Orthodox Jews, and Evangelical Christians in American Politics

In the United States, Orthodox Jews are more similar in terms of religiosity and politics to evangelical Christians than non-Orthodox Jews. I’m interested in exploring how this difference influences the relationship between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews. Due to the argument in political science that politics precedes religion in the U.S., this potentially means that Orthodox Jews favor evangelical Christians over non-Orthodox Jews. This leads me to the following research question: Do Orthodox Jews have greater or less in-group favoritism with non-Orthodox Jews than evangelical Christians in the United States?

Philosophy Honors Senior Thesis

Can Philosophy be Accessible? Investigating the Effectiveness of Public Philosophy in Undergraduate Education

One aim of God and the Good Life, an introductory philosophy course at Notre Dame, is to make philosophy accessible to general audiences. This methodology is described as “public philosophy” and is often criticized for diminishing the value of the original philosophical text. This thesis examines whether God and the Good Life, and other public philosophy courses, are successful in distilling philosophical themes and generating interest in philosophy among students. If successful, this project demonstrates that philosophy is an accessible, useful tool for everyday life.

The Observer

Viewpoint Columnist (Fall 2019 – Present)

The Observer is the student newspaper of the University of Notre Dame, St. Mary’s College, and Holy Cross College community. My column runs bi-weekly and discusses a range of topics regarding politics, philosophy, and faith at the intersection of Judaism and Christianity. The aim of my column is to promote civil, informed dialogue on important issues across the nation. I seek impartiality to educate readers holistically on the various perspectives of an issue. My column also emphasizes the necessity of civil discourse. You can find my pieces here.