Degrees

Ph.D., Boston University (2019)
B.A. (with honors), Colby College (2010)

Research Interests

My areas of specialization are development economics and applied microeconomics. Using firm and household data primarily from Ethiopia and employing techniques from applied microeconomics, I study the causal effects of specific economic policies. Through my research, I aim to contribute to our understanding of the roots of underdevelopment and the role of policy in the process of structural transformation. A second strand of my research agenda explores the historical origins of contemporary economic and political outcomes.

Teaching Interests

I enjoy teaching both introductory and advanced courses in microeconomics and development economics. I consider my primary goals as a teacher to be helping students to develop strong economic reasoning, recognize the significance of each lesson beyond the classroom and develop a lasting curiosity about economics. When possible, I use empirical projects as learning tools in my courses in order to provide students with opportunities to analyze and present complex issues using real data.

Awards and Honors

2016 Rosenstein-Rodan Essay Prize for the Best Original Research in Development  Economics, Boston University Department of Economics, 2016

Dean’s Fellowship, Boston University, 2013-2018

Phi Beta Kappa, inducted in 2010

Honors in Economics, Distinction in First Major, Magna Cum Laude, Colby College, 2010

Davis UWC Scholar, Shelby Davis Scholarship, 2006-2010 

Links

See my website for more information.