I am an Assistant Professor of Economics at Hamilton College.

I am an applied microeconomist focused on the economics of poverty. My areas of specialization are development and applied econometrics with frequent forays into fields such as health, urban, crime, and behavioral economics in addition to inter-disciplinary work in psychology. My current research is focused on: (1) the psychological consequences of poverty and their role in prolonging poverty spells, worsening the impact of shocks, and lowering resilience; (2) social protection policy and the broad effects of cash transfer programs; and (3) issues related to measurement when considering poverty dynamics including the detection of poverty traps using data.

Prior to joining the faculty at Hamilton College, I completed a PhD at the University of California, Davis. Before that, I attained a Master of Public Policy degree from Georgetown University in 2010 after which I was a junior associate in the Labor and Social Protection Unit at the World Bank.