Megan Gash is a fifth year PhD student in the Geography Graduate Group, with deep interest in development economics. She is a mid-career student, returning after spending many years working for non-profit organizations focused on women’s economic empowerment programs in Africa and Asia. Her work in the DE FTR included African sexualities and gender, poverty, and welfare. Megan’s dissertation research centers on social protection in South Africa, examining long-term education outcomes for children, highlighting outcomes specific to female-headed households. Megan plans to graduate in 2024 and use her PhD to further her career in alleviating poverty for women in low-income countries.