About

I am a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at the Columbia University School of Social Work. My fields of interest are in socioeconomic inequality, material hardship, social and education policy, as well as policy analysis, and program evaluation. I am particularly interested in how issues related to low-income young adults’ socioeconomic status and experience with material hardship impact their college access and persistence, health-related outcomes, and financial well-being. I am also interested in the impacts of public programs and policies on reducing socioeconomic disparities among young adults and disadvantaged groups. My research has received grant funding from the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy. In the summer of 2019, I was selected to participate in the Inequality by the Numbers research workshop hosted by the Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality at the City University of New York (CUNY).

I received my Master in Public Affairs from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and a BSc in International Relations from the University of the West Indies, Mona. Prior to starting my doctoral studies, I worked as a Children’s Services Associate in the research department of the Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, the inaugural child protection agency in Trinidad and Tobago. I also have experience working as a secondary school teacher in Trinidad, and as an assistant language teacher in Japan under the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.