I am an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Arkansas and hold a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

My research lies at the intersection of applied microeconomics, social interactions, and human capital formation. I use experiments and quasi-experimental methods, combined with econometric and machine learning tools, to study how young people make educational and life choices.

One line of work examines how segregation shapes skills, preferences, and beliefs, with a focus on schools in Macedonia. Through my role with the U.S. Department of Education, I investigate why many students struggle to complete college, emphasizing the interaction of policy, institutional barriers, and student behavior. I also study neighborhood effects and how local contexts shape individual outcomes.

I serve as a Research and Policy Fellow at the Office of Federal Student Aid within the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to graduate school, I taught middle school math in Thoreau, New Mexico; worked as an Education Fellow at the NYC Department of Education; and served as a Research and IT Fellow at the Gobabeb Research and Training Center in Namibia. These experiences continue to inform my commitment to research that bridges theory and practice.