He completed a Ph.D. in Urban Policy and Planning at MIT DUSP and received the Outstanding Dissertation Award. His research examines how social policy in housing and education influences urban inequality. His current work focuses on differences in institutional approaches to low-income housing policy and residential segregation, and the causes of income disparities in educational attainment. Previously, he has worked as an architect, housing developer, and policy analyst in city and federal government. He holds degrees from Brown University, Yale University, and MIT.