BA in Government, Harvard; PhD in Political Science and Law, Trinity College, Dublin. Worked for more than a decade as a public policy consultant to the United States Department of Justice for Cambridge-based think tank Abt Associates. Former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and a leading advocate for the expansion of women's rights and higher education in Afghanistan. Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics and Harvard's Center for Public Leadership. Her research and published work focused on gang violence, drug abuse, child abuse, and domestic violence. Internationally recognized for service in academia, government, and humanitarian work both in the United States and overseas. Led numerous philanthropic initiatives, including: efforts to combat child homelessness with the National Center on Family Homelessness; delivering humanitarian aid to children and the elderly in Cuba; the Parity Project, a bipartisan effort to promote the election and appointment of women to high-level government offices; and training female parliamentarians in Afghanistan.