Where did you grow up?
I moved all over growing up, so I don’t claim any one place.
What is your degree in? Why did you choose that degree?
I have a Ph.D. in Public Policy with World Politics and Comparative Politics as my subfields. I chose public policy because I wanted to understand why public policy fails to adequately address social problems.
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us.
I was a licensed skydiver.
What is your history with Detroit?
My grandparents immigrated from the island of Malta and settled in Redford, MI. Since I moved around a lot as a child, Redford was always the closest thing to “home” I could claim. I also attended Wayne State for my Ph.D.
What did you do before working at D3?
I worked as a Visiting Professor/Adjunct/Lecturer and Researcher in the field of Public Policy.
What do you like about working at D3 so far? How do you think the work you are doing benefits the city/region?
Everyone who works here is collaborative and loves data as much as I do. From a policy perspective, data teaches us what makes things better and what makes things worse. If we want to make things better we need data.
What are your favorite types of data?
Balanced longitudinal data.
Who or what inspired you to take the path to Detroit, data, or both?
As a researcher, I’m interested in understanding how local governments make decisions regarding policy implementation. The largest struggle with sub national studies is the lack of data at the municipal level. Coming to D3 affords me the opportunity to address this challenge in a meaningful way.