Mary is a senior from Cary, North Carolina majoring in public policy and psychology. She’s passionate about helping citizens engage with public policy and creating spaces for individuals and policymakers to overcome partisan differences and find common ground. Her prior research includes work with Dr. Eric Mlyn to investigate civic technologies for promoting democracy and to understand state-level manifestations of Trumpism after the 2020 elections. She’s also interned with a lobbying firm and the Polis: Center for Politics. On campus, she’s held executive roles on the Durham Panhellenic Council, serves as an ambassador for the Sanford School of Public Policy, and volunteers with Project WILD and Duke Habitat for Humanity. After graduation, she hopes to work with nonprofits or political campaigns.
Honors Thesis: No Such Thing as a Textbook Case: Comparing Interstate Differences in High School Civics Education
Thesis Advisor: Professor Kristin A. Goss