BIO
I received my PhD from—and did a Postdoc at—the USC Price School of Public Policy. I am also an External Research Fellow at USC’s Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Threats and Emergencies.
My research and publications in journals such as Risk Analysis, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Transportation Research Part A, Contemporary Economic Policy, Transport Policy, Research in Transportation Business and Management, Journal of Entrepreneurship and Policy, and The World Economy have focused on the policy and economics of disasters, particularly environmental and terrorism policy, as well as regional economies and transportation systems. I have published two books: Terrorism: An International Perspective with Professor Gus Martin at CSUDH and Economic Consequence Analysis of Disasters with Professor Adam Rose and colleagues at USC.
I have conducted research for numerous regional and national organizations, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. National Biosurveillance Integration Center, California Air Resources Board, World Trade Center, Los Angeles, South Bay Workforce Investment Board, CSU Transportation Center, and Department of Cannabis Control.
I was born and raised in Leeds, United Kingdom, completed my undergraduate studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Master’s of Public Policy and Ph.D. in Policy, Planning, and Development at the University of Southern California.
Outside of work I love spending time with my wonderful wife Lauren and lovely 8 year-old daughter Delilah. I also enjoy playing guitar, swimming, football (soccer!), and cooking.
My Teaching Philosophy
As a teacher, I aim to foster a passion for learning, facilitate critical thinking, and encourage technical excellence. I believe that we all have an innate desire to learn about and understand the world around us. However, the challenge for teachers is to tap into that desire, which can manifest in very different ways for each individual. We all bring a diverse set of beliefs and worldviews to the classroom. I come from another country – the United Kingdom – which helps me to provide an international perspective. Moreover, I grew up in a multi-cultural, predominantly Afro-Caribbean community (there were also many Indian Sikhs and Pakistani Muslims), which taught me the importance of respecting other people’s traditions and cultural sensitivities. I also aim to facilitate critical thinking. Being able to think critically is an invaluable skill for anyone and is a tool that can be used to succeed in a variety of occupations. I believe that technical excellence is one of the facets that differentiates academia from other industries, whether this applies to theory, research methods or communications skills. I have been very fortunate to have worked with Professors who place a primacy on writing and communications skills, and I am greatly inspired by those efforts to provide consistent, extensive and constructive feedback to students on their written work and presentations through other media. I believe this approach, while requiring a greater time commitment, is a critical way to encourage students to reach their fullest potential. Moreover, I believe this approach fosters a culture of engagement and critical reflection.