I am an assistant professor of educational policy and evaluation at Florida State University. My research uses quantitative and econometric methods to examine topics related to low-performing schools, school turnaround and improvement, teacher policy, and educational equity with an emphasis on the role of public policy in shaping student outcomes.
I received my Ph.D. in education policy from the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations (LPO) at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of Education and Human Development, where my dissertation examined low-performing schools, school turnaround, and leadership for school reform. I subsequently worked as a postdoctoral researcher the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) at Michigan State University, where I led research on Michigan's Partnership Model of School and District Turnaround.
Prior to my Ph.D. studies, I was a researcher at the Center for Education Policy at SRI International in Arlington, VA. In that capacity, I managed quantitative longitudinal data collection and management efforts and supported primary and secondary data analyses for education research projects. Before joining SRI, I was an associate at ICF International, where I supported federal program offices through formative evaluation work, technical assistance to grantees, and general capacity building.
I have worked as a journalist for daily newspapers in California, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. I have a Master of Public Policy from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and a bachelor’s degree in Print & Multimedia Journalism from Emerson College in Boston.