I am a Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where I direct the Center for International Studies, the MIT Global Diversity Lab, and the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI). I hold the Total Chair on the study of Contemporary Africa.
In my research and teaching, I study the democratic politics of governing ethnically and racially diverse societies, including with respect to the challenges of public health, climate adaptation, and ensuring respect for human dignity. I use original field work, experiments, comparative-historical analysis, and other empirical approaches. I also write and teach about research methods and strategies.
Much of my work is focused on the African continent, especially South Africa. 
My recent book, Until We Have Won Our Liberty: South Africa after Apartheid, was published by Princeton University Press and is available at Amazon and many independent booksellers.
If you are interested in taking my online course, “Democracy and Development: Perspectives from Africa,” you can enroll in the archived version now: https://www.edx.org/course/democracy-development-perspectives-mitx-17-571x..
Here are some of the projects I am working on:
CLIMATE
- Conceptualizing and Measuring Government Responses to Climate Change (with Michael Ross)
- Social Boundaries and Appeals for Climate-Related Assistance in the United States (with Volha Charnysh, Jared Kalow, and Erin Walk)
- Ethnic Group Dissensus and Climate Policy Preferences in Africa (with Devin Caughey and Preston Johnston)
- Facing Danger: How States and Societies Respond to the Climate Emergency
- The Politics of Water Governance in Africa
DIGNITY
- Experimental and Survey Research on the Content and Value of Dignity Appeals (with Paige Bollen, Will Kymlicka, and Blair Read)
METHODS
- Politician Responses to Material Incentives for Participation in Surveys: Experimental Evidence from South Africa (with Sarah Lockwood)
DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY / REPRESENTATION
- Multi-Dimensional Descriptive Representation in South Africa’s Local Councils (with Sarah Lockwood, Philip Martin, and Vinothan Naidoo)
- The 2024 South African Election in Comparative Perspective