I’m an Assistant Professor of Political Science & Economics at Yale University.
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The questions I’m most passionate about: Why are some countries so poor, violent and unequal? What got the richer, more peaceful and equal countries to where they are today? And what to do about it today?
I have a PhD in Economics from UC Berkeley, a MPA/ID from Harvard’s Kennedy School, and a BA in Economics from the University of Waterloo.
In my pre-academic life I was a business consultant and (believe it or not) an accountant for Deloitte & Touche. But the best jobs I ever held were (a) rock-climbing instructor, and (b) music store salesman. (I have become considerably less cool since that time.)
In the end, though, my work ethic and habits derive from two years cooking chicken at a vaguely militant KFC outlet. After a manager resembling Hulk Hogan forces you to clean grease traps, you can handle pretty much anything.
I’m presently an adviser to the International Rescue Committee, the World Bank, the UN Peacebuilding Fund, Uganda’s Office of the Prime Minister, and Liberia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Other affiliations:
- Affiliate, Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
- Non-Resident Fellow, Center for Global Development (CGD)
- Faculty Member, Yale Economic Growth Center (EGC)
- Member, International Growth Center (IGC)
- Senior Affiliate, Households in Conflict Network (HiCN)
- Member, Experiments in Governance and Politics (EGAP)