Research

I study development economics, which I interpret to be the study of economic and social problems in disadvantaged populations whether they be in developing countries or not. I work to design programs that help those struggling populations with their real-world problems, and uncover mechanisms working against their success. I do this in a rigorous way using both randomized control trials and advanced statistical methods using observational data.

I am primarily interested in the Economics of Education, and understanding when and why people hold biased beliefs about education’s value and helping to correct those so people make more informed decisions. I am also interested in studying how these decisions are adversely affected by changing environmental factors.

Work in Progress

Crossing the Threshold: Complementary Effects of School Quality and Parental Engagement in Ghana

Integrating Educational Technology with Structured Pedagogy to Improve Learning Outcomes for Every Student (with Erik Andersen, Simon Graffy, and Monica Lambon-Quayefio)

Disproportional Outcomes from Probationary Policies: Problems and Solutions

At What Level Should you Cluster, Why Cluster at All? Randomization Inference Correction to Incorrect False Rejection Rates with Small Clusters