I am interested in the way social context (e.g. family, school, neighborhood, peers) affects the outcomes of disadvantaged young people, primarily in adolescence and at the transition to adulthood. Using interdisciplinary frameworks and multiple methodologies to examine these issues, my current research focuses on the sociology of education, urban sociology, neighborhoods and social inequality in the life course. My research also involves the sociological consideration of education and housing policy. I am motivated by an interest in rigorous research designs for causal inference using both experimental and non-experimental data, as well as the use of qualitative work to understand causality and the effectiveness of social policies. My research has been made possible by generous support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Abell Foundation, Spencer Foundation, National Academy of Education, William T. Grant Foundation, Center for Research on Educational Opportunity at the University of Notre Dame, American Educational Research Association, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Education.