Role
I am a Senior Lecturer in Economics.
My research interests are Applied Econometrics, Early Childhood Development, Economics of Skill Formation, Labour Economics, Development Economics, Field Experiments, and Policy Evaluation.
I have a strong interest in early childhood policy. Past research focused on the econometric evaluation of an early childhood intervention called ‘Preparing for Life’. This programme was targeted at disadvantaged children and aimed to improve school readiness. I have examined the impact of early childhood programmes on measures of child development (both cognitive and non-cognitive measures).
My current research is focused on the topics of childcare policy, the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, and the teaching of mathematics at university.
More generally, I am interested in impact evaluation: using both the experimental and the quasi-experimental approach. I have experience of randomised control trial (RCT) design and I am interested in the debate surrounding the increasing popularity of RCTs in Economics (particularly in Development Economics).
I have a BA in Computer Science (Trinity College Dublin), a MA in Economics (University College Dublin), and a PhD in Economics (University College Dublin).
Career overview
Prior to joining NTU, I held the positions of Teaching Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and University College Dublin. I was also previously employed as a Researcher at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in Ireland. In my early career, prior to completing my PhD in Economics, I worked as a Software Engineer in the financial sector.