My research examines how early-life developmental contexts shape life-course social inequality by integrating insights from economics and developmental science. Using quasi-experimental and econometric methods with large-scale administrative and survey data, I analyze the effects of socioeconomic, institutional, and political conditions on adolescents’ educational and employment trajectories. Complementing this work on human capital formation, I also conducts research on Bayesian approaches for estimating racial and ethnic disparities when self-reported race and ethnicity are unavailable. In a Gates-funded project, I have played a central role in evaluating existing and newly developed methods using U.S. Decennial Census of Population and Housing microdata. I am also finalizing user-friendly software to implement these methods. My work aims to inform policies that expand social mobility and advance more equitable education systems.