She acquired her Ph.D. in education and African studies from Indiana University, USA, in 2003. Her master's degree is in international development from Cornell University, USA. Her areas of interest are historical and current issues in education - especially secondary education - in Africa. The recent publications include: "Educational Borrowing as Negotiation: Reexamining the influence of American black industrial education model on British colonial education in Africa." Comparative Education. Vol. 43, No. 1, 2007, and "Making Sense of the EFA from a National Context - Its Implementation, and Impact on Households in Ethiopia." In Education for All: Global Promises, National Challenges, edited by Baker, David P. and A.W. Wiseman. Oxford: Elsevier Science Ltd., 2007.