I am a former teacher, researcher, and policy advisor who combines field-grounded realism with methodological rigor. I study how policy and program inputs become classroom routines, how schools and teachers adapt them, and what conditions enable and sustain improvement. I look beyond surface-level reform to identify the mechanisms that shape learning and prevent education systems from delivering for children. By tracing persistent barriers to their causes, I turn complex education challenges into evidence that is analytically rigorous, policy-relevant, and actionable. I mentor early-career scholars and partner with ministries of education, NGOs, and international organizations, driven by a belief that education can widen what is possible, especially for children whose futures depend most on whether systems deliver.