Mary is a Research Associate. She joined the Educational Research Centre after completing a ‎year of European Studies at the College of Europe in Belgium and some postgraduate ‎research and lecturing experience at University College Dublin (UCD) and the Institute of ‎Public Administration (IPA). Mary has worked on a number of evaluations, in particular, on ‎the transition from school to work and more recently on Early Start, a preschool ‎programme in schools designated as disadvantaged. She also conducted a large survey of ‎provision and practice relating to gender in Irish primary schools and is currently an editor ‎of the Irish Journal of Education. Mary’s qualifications include an M.SOC.SC. degree from ‎UCD and a Ph.D. in Education from Dublin City University.‎