About

I am an Assistant Professor of Public Policy in the School of Government and International Affairs (SGIA) and a member of the Centre for Institutions and Political Behaviour at Durham University, United Kingdom.

My research examines informal organizational dynamics and their impact on the performance of public organizations in developing countries. My current work explores two key areas: the role of direct supervisors in the socialization of newly recruited civil servants and the broader implications of this process, as well as the influence of office politics on the effectiveness of public organizations. I also teach courses in public policy, public management, comparative politics, and research methods. 

I hold a DPhil in Public Policy from the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford and an MPA from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. I went to Earlham College for my undergraduate study.

I collaborate closely with policymakers and reformers within and beyond government who are actively engaged in civil service reforms. My research has informed policy change, leading to the new Onboarding and Orientation Policy for Ghana’s Civil Service. In Nigeria, in collaboration with the Federal Civil Service and partners in the private and not-for-profit sectors, we are embarking on a similar journey for strengthening public institutions.

My interests in public organizations stem from the influence of my parents, who were civil servants, and my earlier professional experience as a policy analyst in Myanmar. From 2012 to 2017, I led a policy research programme in Myanmar, where my team provided evidence and policy advice to two consecutive civilian governments during the country’s short-lived democratic transition. My team included both local and international researchers, and we collected evidence — in most cases, for the first time since 1960s — on such crucial issues as rural livelihoods and economy, migration, remittances, minimum wage, and delivery units.

After my policy work, I pursued further study, first completing an MPA before finishing a Ph.D in Public Policy.

I believe that as a public administration scholar, not a lot of things are more rewarding than working together with reformers across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors for sustained building of public institutions.

Beyond my academic life, I play football (soccer), hike, go for long walks and love the Great British Bake-Off and Taskmaster.