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My Program

I am a PhD student in Higher Education. My work sits at the intersection of education economics, student financial aid policy, and equity in postsecondary access and persistence. I am especially interested in how financial systems and institutional structures shape the experiences and outcomes of low-income, first-generation, and working students in Canada and the United States.

Why I chose OISE/my program

I chose OISE because it is one of the few academic spaces where rigorous policy scholarship is deeply connected to questions of equity, governance, and lived student experience. The Higher Education and Policy community at OISE offered an ideal environment to pursue interdisciplinary research that bridges economics, sociology, and public policy. OISE also stood out to me for its strong commitment to public impact. As someone motivated by both research and advocacy, I was drawn to a program that values scholarship not only as a theoretical contribution, but as a tool for improving educational systems and expanding opportunity for underrepresented students.

Why I love my program/what it has done to shape my academic trajectory and research identity. 

My program has played a major role in shaping who I am as a researcher and the kinds of questions I feel most driven to pursue. OISE has given me the space to think deeply about affordability, access, and equity in higher education, while also encouraging me to connect my work to real-world policy challenges that affect students’ everyday lives. A particularly meaningful part of my experience has been the mentorship of my supervisor, Professor Daniel Corral. He has been instrumental in shaping my academic trajectory and helping me grow into my identity as a scholar. His guidance has supported me in refining my research focus, thinking more clearly about the role of financial aid in students’ lives, and building confidence in my ability to contribute to important conversations in education policy. Overall, OISE has provided an incredibly supportive intellectual community where I have been able to develop research that is both rigorous and deeply motivated by questions of equity, opportunity, and student experience.

Opportunities I have taken to develop my research through collaborative specialization and extracurricular involvement

During my time at OISE, I have pursued a wide range of opportunities that have strengthened both my scholarly development and my commitment to public-facing research. I have presented my work at major international conferences, including the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), which have allowed me to engage with leading scholars and contribute to broader conversations in higher education policy and equity. Beyond conferences, I have been fortunate to take on formative scholarly experiences outside of the classroom. I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, which supported my work as a Visiting Research Scholar at Stanford University, and I also held a Visiting Doctoral Scholar appointment at the University of California, Berkeley. These opportunities have greatly expanded my research perspective and allowed me to build collaborative relationships with scholars across North America.

At the University of Toronto, I have also remained deeply involved in academic and community leadership. I was appointed to the Junior Fellowship at Massey College and later elected as Don of Hall, roles that have allowed me to support graduate student life, foster community-building initiatives, and contribute to the intellectual culture of the College alongside my academic work. Together, these experiences have helped me grow not only as a researcher, but also as a leader committed to advancing equity-oriented scholarship that reaches beyond the university.

Summary of my doctoral research project and key highlights 

My doctoral research investigates how financial aid policy design and student employment patterns intersect to shape postsecondary persistence, academic progression, and longer-term socioeconomic outcomes. Specifically, I examine the ways in which aid structures—such as need-based grants, work-study programs, and administrative requirements—mediate students’ capacity to remain enrolled and succeed academically while balancing paid employment. Adopting a comparative policy framework, my work situates student financial support systems within broader institutional and governance contexts across Canada and the United States. Methodologically, my research draws on large-scale quantitative analysis to assess how variations in aid generosity, program accessibility, and policy implementation influence educational trajectories, particularly for low-income, first-generation, and working students.

A central contribution of this project is its focus on financial aid not only as an economic resource, but as a key policy mechanism through which inequality is produced or mitigated in higher education systems. Ultimately, my dissertation aims to generate evidence that can inform more equitable and effective approaches to student support, with implications for both institutional practice and public policy. This research has been advanced through international scholarly collaboration during my Fulbright Visiting Scholarship at Stanford University and my Visiting Doctoral Scholar appointment at the University of California, Berkeley, where I have engaged with leading higher education policy researchers and expanded the cross-national scope of my work.

Other research work/projects I have done during my time at OISE

In addition to my dissertation, I have contributed to several interdisciplinary research initiatives at OISE and across the University of Toronto focused on equity, student experience, and institutional policy. These include projects on undergraduate research participation and racial data collection in Ontario postsecondary institutions under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Corral, as well as work on universities and intellectual property at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. I have also collaborated on equity-oriented secondary school mathematics reform and the longitudinal Hard-Working Student research study examining how student employment shapes persistence and wellbeing. Alongside these research experiences, I served as Associate Vice-President, Academic for the LHAE Departmental Students’ Association, supporting graduate academic life and departmental governance.

Other research work/contributions/involvement outside of OISE 

Outside of OISE, I have remained deeply engaged in teaching, public scholarship, and higher education leadership that extends the reach of my research beyond the university. Alongside my doctoral training, I have contributed extensively to graduate and undergraduate instruction across the University of Toronto, serving as a Teaching Assistant in courses spanning research methods, data governance, cultural record documentation, and global affairs. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to student-centered pedagogy and to supporting learners in developing analytical and policy-relevant research skills.

I have also contributed to applied policy research and knowledge mobilization through roles with the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO), where I authored a series of policy briefs on student decision-making, financial concerns, online learning, and equity-oriented institutional supports. This work reflects my broader commitment to translating research into accessible evidence that can inform public policy and improve postsecondary systems for students across Ontario.

In parallel, I have remained actively involved in public scholarship and editorial leadership. I have served as Managing Editor of the Journal of Canadian Studies and as Editor-in-Chief of Stephanos, and I have contributed to the Stanford Public Scholarship Collaborative through research writing and policy-facing publication. I also produce and host episodes of the Massey College Junior Common Room Podcast, creating accessible platforms for dialogue on higher education, governance, and community life.

Finally, my academic work is closely connected to sustained leadership and service within the University of Toronto community. I was appointed to the Junior Fellowship at Massey College and currently serve as Don of Hall, roles through which I have supported graduate student life, organized major intellectual and community initiatives, and contributed to governance and institutional leadership. These experiences reflect my belief that higher education scholarship is strengthened through active participation in the communities and institutions that shape student opportunity and belonging.