I have earned my M.A. in political science from San Francisco State University. I have widely traveled to Iran, Pakistan, and India, and am fluent in Dari, Pashto, and Urdu. In addition to writing on politics and culture, I write short stories and poems in Dari/Farsi and English.

While currently employed as a Policy Analyst at RAND Corporation, my professional experience includes teaching American Politics at San Francisco State University. As assistant professor at the Defense Language Institute (DLI), I taught Dari, as well as courses on Afghan politics, culture, and history. I have also served as a political analyst at Naval Postgraduate School. In 2001, I was elected as the president of the Society of Afghan Professionals in California.