Academic Research

My research joins that of a large international community of development economists trying to understand causes, consequences, and cures for poverty in developing countries.  Some of my research uses game theory, behavioral economics, and experiments to understand the nature of poverty traps or, more hopefully, how people escape them.  Some of this research focuses on the role of hope and aspirations among the poor in escaping cycles of poverty.  Other papers focus on the design and econometric evaluation of poverty interventions in areas such as microenterprise, health, and education.  Specifically, some of these studies have looked at the long-term impacts of international child sponsorship, of TOMS Shoes donation, Operation Smile cleft-palate surgery, donated dairy cows through the Heifer Project, and the impact of Nestle infant formula on infant mortality in the developing world.  A full list of my current and past research papers is available on this link to my research website.